Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 29 largest places in South Dakota, Dell Rapids has the lowest unemployment rate (0.3%), followed by Mobridge and Hartford. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 29 places in South Dakota that we cover, the median is 2.5% and the average 2.9%; the figure runs from 0.3% (Dell Rapids) to 8.5% (Vermillion). That is a spread of 24.3 times between the two ends. The state figure is 2.9%; 11 of the 29 places are above it and 18 at or below.
The first five are Dell Rapids, Mobridge, Hartford, Harrisburg, Mitchell. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: unemployment from the ACS is a survey estimate with a margin of error, and small places can swing widely. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Unemployment (ACS) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dell Rapids | Minnehaha County | 0.3% | 3,905 | $100,170 | $962 |
| 2 | Mobridge | Walworth County | 0.9% | 2,932 | $65,357 | $953 |
| 3 | Hartford | Minnehaha County | 0.9% | 3,478 | $99,893 | $938 |
| 4 | Harrisburg | Lincoln County | 1.0% | 8,519 | $108,724 | $1,362 |
| 5 | Mitchell | Davison County | 1.0% | 15,649 | $58,620 | $851 |
| 6 | Brandon | Minnehaha County | 1.2% | 10,996 | $110,806 | $976 |
| 7 | Pierre | Hughes County | 1.2% | 13,948 | $77,672 | $983 |
| 8 | Milbank | Grant County | 1.4% | 3,525 | $56,011 | $548 |
| 9 | Watertown | Codington County | 1.8% | 23,044 | $69,600 | $942 |
| 10 | Hot Springs | Fall River County | 1.8% | 3,548 | $66,338 | $897 |
| 11 | Tea | Lincoln County | 2.0% | 6,786 | $120,139 | $1,220 |
| 12 | Yankton | Yankton County | 2.0% | 15,540 | $67,804 | $790 |
| 13 | Spearfish | Lawrence County | 2.2% | 12,930 | $65,688 | $963 |
| 14 | Summerset | Meade County | 2.2% | 3,022 | $119,271 | $1,288 |
| 15 | Sioux Falls | Minnehaha County | 2.5% | 201,469 | $75,970 | $1,035 |
| 16 | Rapid City | Pennington County | 2.6% | 77,946 | $70,870 | $1,109 |
| 17 | Huron | Beadle County | 2.6% | 14,385 | $61,452 | $888 |
| 18 | Belle Fourche | Butte County | 2.6% | 5,804 | $65,071 | $983 |
| 19 | Sturgis | Meade County | 3.0% | 7,086 | $54,404 | $780 |
| 20 | Dakota Dunes (unincorporated) | Union County | 3.4% | 3,936 | $136,125 | $1,225 |
| 21 | Aberdeen | Brown County | 3.6% | 28,189 | $64,405 | $762 |
| 22 | Rapid Valley (unincorporated) | Pennington County | 4.3% | 6,975 | $83,208 | $1,174 |
| 23 | Madison | Lake County | 4.4% | 6,094 | $65,593 | $981 |
| 24 | Brookings | Brookings County | 4.5% | 23,948 | $63,493 | $889 |
| 25 | Box Elder | Pennington County | 4.9% | 12,902 | $73,008 | $1,491 |
| 26 | North Sioux City | Union County | 5.1% | 3,045 | $71,908 | $1,098 |
| 27 | Canton | Lincoln County | 5.4% | 3,033 | $60,850 | $673 |
| 28 | Blackhawk (unincorporated) | Meade County | 6.8% | 2,934 | $71,993 | n/a |
| 29 | Vermillion | Clay County | 8.5% | 11,878 | $50,456 | $764 |
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Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Dell Rapids, with 0.3% (among the 29 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 29 largest places in South Dakota by population.