Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Violent crime rate
1990–2023FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
Crime Rate
South Dakota's overall crime rate combines a violent crime rate of 421 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 1,780 per 100,000, both compared to national figures of 364 and 1,954.
Violent + property crime rate
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent and property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (/100k) | 421 | 364 |
| Property crime (/100k) | 1780 | 1954 |
- •South Dakota's property crime rate of 1,780 per 100,000 is below the U.S. average of 1,954.
Violent Crime
South Dakota recorded a violent crime rate of 421 per 100,000 residents in 2023, including aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and homicide, above the U.S. rate of 364.
Violent crime rate, South Dakota
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (/100k) | 421 | 364 |
- •Aggravated assault accounts for the majority of South Dakota's violent crime incidents.
Property Crime
South Dakota's property crime rate stood at 1,780 per 100,000 in 2023, below the national rate of 1,954, led by larceny-theft at 1,300 per 100,000.
Property crime rate, South Dakota
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Property crime rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime (/100k) | 1780 | 1954 |
- •Larceny-theft makes up the largest share of South Dakota's property crimes.
Homicides
South Dakota's homicide rate was 3.6 per 100,000 in 2023, lower than the national rate of 5.7 per 100,000.
Homicide rate, South Dakota
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Homicide rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate (/100k) | 3.6 | 5.7 |
- •South Dakota's homicide rate is roughly 37% lower than the national average.
Police Officers
South Dakota's law enforcement is spread across county sheriffs, municipal police, and tribal police departments serving nine federally recognized tribal nations across the state.
| Indicator | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Tribal nations | 9 | 0 |
- •The Highway Patrol supplements county sheriffs across South Dakota's vast rural road network.
Public Safety Indicators
South Dakota's overall crime profile shows violent crime at 421 per 100,000 and homicide at 3.6 per 100,000, a mixed picture relative to the national averages of 364 and 5.7.
| Indicator | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (/100k) | 421 | 364 |
| Homicide (/100k) | 3.6 | 5.7 |
- •South Dakota's homicide rate is well below the national average despite a higher violent crime rate overall.