Is Maine or South Dakota a better state to live in?

Based on our composite scoring, South Dakota ranks higher overall. Maine is #5 and South Dakota is #2 out of 50 states. Maine wins 4 of 11 categories, while South Dakota wins 7.

How does Maine compare to South Dakota in cost of living?

Maine has a cost of living index of 97, while South Dakota's is 88 (100 = national average). South Dakota is more affordable.

Which state is safer, Maine or South Dakota?

Maine has 100 violent crimes per 100K residents, vs 330 in South Dakota. Maine has the lower crime rate.

What are the median incomes in Maine vs South Dakota?

Maine's median household income is $68,810, compared to $72,280 in South Dakota.

Maine vs South Dakota: Side-by-Side (2026)

A+

Maine

#5·Northeast

77.3Composite Score

VSSouth Dakota leads

A+

South Dakota

#2·Midwest

81.8Composite Score

4ME wins

7SD wins

Category Overlay

MaineSouth Dakota

Category Scores

💰 EconomySD +20.6

49.7

70.3

🛡️ SafetyME +22.7

89.6

66.9

🏥 HealthME +26.5

79.6

53.1

🎓 EducationSD +14.3

75.5

89.8

💼 Fiscal HealthSD +19.3

57.0

76.3

📈 GrowthSD +14.6

48.8

63.4

🏠 AffordabilitySD +27.6

56.9

84.5

🌿 EnvironmentME +23.8

77.1

53.3

🏞️ Outdoor AccessSD +0.8

45.0

45.8

🚇 TransportationSD +3.9

52.8

56.7

🎭 LivabilityME +7.5

61.8

54.3

Key Metrics Comparison

Metric	Maine	South Dakota	Winner
Population	1,395,722	919,318	ME
Median Income	$68,810	$72,280	SD
Unemployment	3.2%	2%	SD
Violent Crime Rate(per 100K)	100	330	ME
Cost of Living(100 = national avg)	97	88	SD
HS Graduation Rate	87%	85%	ME
Life Expectancy	78.7 yr	78.5 yr	ME
Pop Growth	+0.5%	+1%	SD

Maine vs South Dakota: How Do They Compare?

Maine ranks #5 overall with a composite score of 77.3, earning a A+ grade. South Dakota sits at #2 with 81.8 and a A+ grade. South Dakota has the edge overall, winning 7 of 11 categories.

On the economic front, Maine has 3.2% unemployment and a $68,810 median income, while South Dakota reports 2% unemployment and $72,280 median income.

For safety, Maine's violent crime rate is 100 per 100K compared to 330 in South Dakota. Cost of living favors South Dakota with an index of 88 vs 97.

Explore These States

Maine Full Profile77.3 South Dakota Full Profile81.8 Compare Other States→

Data Sources

📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (Dec 2025)📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 📎FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023 📎America's Health Rankings, 2025 📎WalletHub/NAEP, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 📎Cook Political Report, PVI 2024 📎Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2025 📎ALEC Rich States Poor States, 2025 📎WalletHub Tax Burden Study, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau / FHFA, 2025 📎BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023 📎EPA AirData, Median AQI by County 2024 📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 📎FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau, Net Domestic Migration 2024 📎FCC / BroadbandNow, Broadband Access 2025 📎National Park Service API, 2024 📎USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), 2024 📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Commuting)📎FHWA Highway Statistics, 2023 📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 📎EIA Natural Gas Prices, 2024 📎DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, 2023 📎BEA Regional Price Parities (Food), 2023 📎NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), 2023-24 📎EDFacts ACGR Graduation Rates, 2021-22 📎NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33), 2022-23 📎BEA GDP by State (SAGDP9), 2023 📎NASBO Fiscal Survey of States, FY2023 📎Census Bureau State Government Finances, FY2022 📎Pew Charitable Trusts Fiscal 50, FY2023 📎Pew Charitable Trusts, FY2022 📎S&P/Moody's via Ballotpedia, 2025 📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES (May 2023)📎IRS Statistics of Income, State-to-State Migration 2022-2023