U.S. Employment Exploration: South Dakota
South Dakota offers a rich history, peopled by colorful and influential characters such as Lewis and Clark, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, General Custer and Sitting Bull. It also boasts well-known scenic wonders, including Mount Rushmore and the gold-rich Black Hills. That makes it an interesting place to visit, but if you’re thinking about moving there, you’ll need to consider other factors.
The 17th largest U.S. state, South Dakota also has a population close to 771,000 according to the state’s Labor Market Information Center (LMIC). It ranks second-lowest in the country for total crime, based on information tracked by the U.S. Department of Justice/FBI.
Climate & Geography
South Dakota claims several nicknames. Official designated as The Mount Rushmore State, it’s also known as The Blizzard State, which gives a clue to one aspect of its climate: severe winter weather.
Temperatures include a record high of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and a record low of –58. Monthly averages range from 1.9 to 86.5 degrees. Annual precipitation runs from 14-16 inches (mostly in the northwest) to 27-30 inches. Much of the eastern half of the state receives between 18 and 25 inches.
Prairie, grassland and farmland cover approximately 90 percent of South Dakota. The southern portion includes the Black Hills and Badlands National Park. The capital, Pierre, isn’t among the five largest cities, which include Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
Economy: Cost of Living vs. Income
South Dakota has no personal income tax, personal property tax or real property tax at the state level. Its cost of living places it among the least expensive states. According to ACCRA figures for third quarter 2004, the Sioux Falls cost-of-living composite index was 95.2, making it third-lowest regionally and second-lowest in the national comparison. Rent.com shows the state as 4 percent below the national average.
Infoplease.com provides information from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that shows per capita income for 2004 at about $30,800 compared to a national average around $32,900. Other BEA figures indicate a 2003 average of about $28,800. Only 16 of 66 counties had an average per capita income of $30,000 or higher.
Jobs, Wages & Unemployment
According to South Dakota’s Department of Labor, the 10 fastest-growing industries for 2004-2014 are Social Assistance; Ambulatory Healthcare Services; Waste Management and Remediation Service; Amusement, Gambling and Recreation; Museums, Historical Sites and Similar Institutions; Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores; Hospitals; Internet Service Providers, Web Search Portals and Data; Repair and Maintenance; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
The industries expected to decline most rapidly are Apparel Manufacturing; Textile Product Mills; Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing; Primary Metal Manufacturing; and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting.
You can also find information from the Department of Labor’s web site on the fastest-growing occupations for 2002-2012 and those projected to need the most workers. None of the top-listed occupations is at management level, and only one is related to high-tech: Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts.
As shown by the LMIC’s Covered Workers Annual Information list, wages vary greatly from one industry to another and within industries from one sub-category to another. For example, the Information industry average is $34,614; but Internet Publishing/Broadcasting is only $17,711, while ISPs/Search Portals/Data Processing is $53,376.
Numerous web sites enable you to compare wages and cost of living between two areas. For instance, salary.com has a Cost-of-Living Wizard.
South Dakota’s initial unemployment rate for January-March 2006 ranged from 3.9 to 4.0 percent. In 2002 it had the lowest rate in the U.S., at 3.5 percent, compared to the national average of 5.8 percent (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/U.S. Department of Labor).
State-Related Resources
In addition to the official South Dakota web site, you can also find useful information from many other resources, including the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau Index. If you need information on professional associations, one way is to ask Google to search for, say, “professional associations, Pierre, South Dakota.”
Online Resources
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