These Are The 10 Most Successful Cities In South Dakota

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What is success? Is it the amount of money you have in your bank account, at any given point? Is it that feeling you get after delivering a killer presentation, or even a pretty decent bar joke?

Or is it something biggerâsomething wholly unnamable, undefinable, immeasurable, and totally subjective?

Probably so.

But here at Zippia, we like things that we can neatly measure and then expound upon. So yes, with the Power of Math, we have determined the unarguable, totally objective 10 most successful cities in South Dakota. And here they are:

If you are trying to argue already with our unarguable list, keep reading. Thereâs a method to this madness.

For more SD reading, check out:

How We Determined The Most Successful Cities In South Dakota

The first thing that comes to most capitalist minds in terms of success isâmoney. After all, rich people must be successful, right?

Meh. Maybe. But we think thereâs a bit more that goes into it than that. So we looked at this set of criteria from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey:

1. Pierre

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 13,885Median Income: $52,961
Poverty Level: 10.0%
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%

2. Brandon

Population: 9,350Median Income: $69,792
Poverty Level: 6.7%
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%

3. Aberdeen

Population: 26,979Median Income: $47,540
Poverty Level: 13.1%
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%

4. Mitchell

Population: 15,490Median Income: $47,622
Poverty Level: 11.7%
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%

5. Sioux Falls

Population: 160,964Median Income: $52,607
Poverty Level: 10.9%
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%

6. Watertown

Population: 21,795Median Income: $45,185
Poverty Level: 12.3%
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%

7. Belle Fourche

Population: 5,677Median Income: $41,356
Poverty Level: 14.9%
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%

8. Box Elder

Population: 8,683Median Income: $45,041
Poverty Level: 7.4%
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%

9. Sturgis

Population: 6,652Median Income: $37,697
Poverty Level: 15.4%
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%

10. Yankton

Population: 14,513Median Income: $42,250
Poverty Level: 15.9%
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%

Measuring Success

If youâre still looking at this post thinking, âSurely, such superficial methods canât possibly measure a city, or rather, the individuals that make up that cityâs success!â well, youâre probably right.

But we like to measure things, and when it comes to success, we feel pretty successful in our approach. Congrats to Pierre and our winners. And for those who didnât make the cut, well, better luck next year.

Detailed List Of The Most Successful Cities In South Dakota

Rank	City	Median Income	Poverty Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Pierre	$52,961	10.0%	2.3%
2	Brandon	$69,792	6.7%	3.9%
3	Aberdeen	$47,540	13.1%	3.0%
4	Mitchell	$47,622	11.7%	3.7%
5	Sioux Falls	$52,607	10.9%	4.6%
6	Watertown	$45,185	12.3%	3.5%
7	Belle Fourche	$41,356	14.9%	2.9%
8	Box Elder	$45,041	7.4%	4.8%
9	Sturgis	$37,697	15.4%	2.3%
10	Yankton	$42,250	15.9%	3.7%
11	Rapid City	$46,392	14.3%	5.9%
12	Huron	$39,927	21.1%	3.1%
13	Brookings	$41,061	28.4%	4.1%
14	Spearfish	$39,758	20.6%	4.5%
15	Madison	$37,045	17.4%	5.0%
16	Vermillion	$28,690	42.7%	9.7%

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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