Sign In Register

Best Cities for Young Professionals in South Dakota

High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  South Dakota

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Income · 20% Educated Peers · 15% Young Demographic · 15% Jobs · 15% Transit · 10% Safety · 10% Broadband · 15%

Top 12 Young Professionals Cities in South Dakota

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 76.8
Dakota Dunes, SD
4,129 residents
Income $123,438
Educated Peers 60.8%
Young Demographic 42 yrs
#2
Score 75.5
Tea, SD
6,339 residents
Income $104,643
Educated Peers 41.4%
Young Demographic 30 yrs
#3
Score 74.6
Aurora, SD
1,407 residents
Income $90,612
Educated Peers 44.1%
Young Demographic 30 yrs
#4
Score 74.5
Summerset, SD
2,978 residents
Income $115,197
Educated Peers 41.1%
Young Demographic 34 yrs
#5
Score 73.6
Harrisburg, SD
7,790 residents
Income $101,534
Educated Peers 40.5%
Young Demographic 30 yrs
#6
Score 73.4
Brandon, SD
10,996 residents
Income $104,806
Educated Peers 40.6%
Young Demographic 38 yrs
#7
Score 70.1
Baltic, SD
1,512 residents
Income $105,132
Educated Peers 25.0%
Young Demographic 30 yrs
#8
Score 68.1
Volga, SD
2,246 residents
Income $75,417
Educated Peers 41.6%
Young Demographic 29 yrs
#9
Score 67.9
Dell Rapids, SD
3,947 residents
Income $101,250
Educated Peers 36.2%
Young Demographic 40 yrs
#10
Score 67.1
Brookings, SD
23,710 residents
Income $61,979
Educated Peers 49.7%
Young Demographic 25 yrs
#11
Score 66.4
Crooks, SD
1,216 residents
Income $104,479
Educated Peers 31.4%
Young Demographic 42 yrs
#12
Score 65.8
Britton, SD
1,117 residents
Income $70,156
Educated Peers 24.2%
Young Demographic 44 yrs

Full Ranking, South Dakota

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Dakota Dunes SD 76.8
2 Tea SD 75.5
3 Aurora SD 74.6
4 Summerset SD 74.5
5 Harrisburg SD 73.6
6 Brandon SD 73.4
7 Baltic SD 70.1
8 Volga SD 68.1
9 Dell Rapids SD 67.9
10 Brookings SD 67.1
11 Crooks SD 66.4
12 Britton SD 65.8
13 Hartford SD 65.1
14 Groton SD 64.6
15 Box Elder SD 64
16 Worthing SD 63.8
17 Sioux Falls SD 63.7
18 North Spearfish SD 63.6
19 Spearfish SD 63.3
20 Vermillion SD 63
21 Elk Point SD 62.7
22 Ipswich SD 62.2
23 Pierre SD 62
24 Parker SD 61.9
25 Green Valley SD 61.7
26 Madison SD 60.3
27 Colman SD 59.9
28 North Sioux City SD 59.1
29 Lennox SD 58
30 Platte SD 58
31 Rapid Valley SD 57.9
32 Parkston SD 57.4
33 Rapid City SD 57.4
34 Yankton SD 57.3
35 Aberdeen SD 57.3
36 Salem SD 56.8
37 Beresford SD 56.1
38 Fort Pierre SD 56
39 Chamberlain SD 55.5
40 Canton SD 55.2
41 Flandreau SD 54.5
42 Watertown SD 54.3
43 Mitchell SD 54.3
44 Custer SD 54.2
45 Mobridge SD 53.9
46 Huron SD 53.4
47 Redfield SD 53.4
48 Gettysburg SD 52.5
49 Lead SD 52.4
50 Sisseton SD 51.7

Dakota Dunes, SD tops the list with a composite score of 76.8 out of 100, followed by Tea and Aurora. SD dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for young professionals.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Income, Educated Peers, Young Demographic, Jobs, Transit, Safety, Broadband. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to young professionals, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Highest Income → Most Educated → Youngest Cities →