You might think that the whole hippie movement has faded away, but the truth is, there are plenty of hippies out there in South Dakota.
While they aren’t necessarily in your face all the time with war protests, and the next Woodstock isn’t being planned any time soon, we thought it would be fun to look at which cities in the Mount Rushmore State where the most hippies would live.
And, after crunching the data, you know what? It was spot on.
How do you decide where the most hippies live? By the number of yoga studios, organic markets, and most importantly, where the liberals live in droves.
Using those criteria, it’s not hard to scrape the internet, run some scientific data on where hippies might live in South Dakota, and then put out a list.
So, put on your tie-dye shirt and sandals as you go through this list with us.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the hippiest city in South Dakota? The hippiest city in South Dakota is Sturgis.
Read on below to see where your town ranked, Young Flower Child.
/10
Population: 6,652
% Liberal: 27.1%
More on Sturgis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,836
% Liberal: 35.0%
More on Spearfish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 21,795
% Liberal: 39.8%
More on Watertown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 14,513
% Liberal: 42.4%
More on Yankton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 22,645
% Liberal: 47.0%
More on Brookings: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 15,490
% Liberal: 38.2%
More on Mitchell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 26,979
% Liberal: 45.1%
More on Aberdeen: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,885
% Liberal: 34.2%
More on Pierre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 160,964
% Liberal: 45.3%
More on Sioux Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 9,350
% Liberal: 45.3%
More on Brandon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the most beatnik city in South Dakota
In order to rank the best cities for hippies in South Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science to determine what criteria defines a hippie.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the Google Places API, the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, and Voter Registration data, this is the criteria we used:
- Number of yoga studios per capita
- Number of organic markets per capita
- Number of pet adoption centers per capita
- Number of vegan restaurants per capita
- Number of thrift stores per capita
- Each city’s liberal voting population
For the sake of getting reliable numbers on places, we counted any place within a ~4.5 mile radius of a city’s center. The average city in the United States is about 18 square miles.
All of these results are listed in a per capita basis, meaning number of stores per person in a city. Additionally, we limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 5,000 people.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 15 in each category, where 1 was the most hippie.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a hippie index.
And finally, we crowned the city with the highest hippie index the “Best City for Hippies In South Dakota.” We’re looking at you, Sturgis.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in hippie central. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from hippiest to most square.
Summary: The Hippies Of South Dakota
If you’re measuring the locations in South Dakota where there are lots of liberals, and there are many options for vegan food, yoga and thrift stores, this is an accurate list.
The most hippie cities in South Dakota are Sturgis, Spearfish, Watertown, Yankton, Brookings, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Pierre, Sioux Falls, and Brandon.
If you’re curious, here are the most square places in South Dakota:
- Belle Fourche
- Box Elder
- Huron
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Dakota
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Dakota
- Richest Cities In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
Detailed List Of The Most Hippie Cities In South Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sturgis | 6,652 | 27.1% |
| 2 | Spearfish | 10,836 | 35.0% |
| 3 | Watertown | 21,795 | 39.8% |
| 4 | Yankton | 14,513 | 42.4% |
| 5 | Brookings | 22,645 | 47.0% |
| 6 | Mitchell | 15,490 | 38.2% |
| 7 | Aberdeen | 26,979 | 45.1% |
| 8 | Pierre | 13,885 | 34.2% |
| 9 | Sioux Falls | 160,964 | 45.3% |
| 10 | Brandon | 9,350 | 45.3% |
| 11 | Madison | 6,830 | 43.3% |
| 12 | Vermillion | 10,697 | 56.5% |
| 13 | Huron | 12,982 | 39.7% |
| 14 | Box Elder | 8,683 | 34.0% |
| 15 | Belle Fourche | 5,677 | 23.8% |