Are you looking for love in South Dakota?
Or are you just hoping to hook up with a hot South Dakotan?
Either way, we’ve got you covered here.
If you live in South Dakota, there’s a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Mount Rushmore State has plenty of people over 18 who aren’t married or in a serious relationship.
That’s great news for people who are single and looking to mingle.
So, where are the best cities for singles in South Dakota? We used Saturday Night Science to find out.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In South Dakota For 2024
- Vermillion
- Brookings
- Sioux Falls
- Springfield
- Volga
- Aberdeen
- Hot Springs
- Mobridge
- Mitchell
- Yankton
So, what was the best city for singles in South Dakota? Vermillion ranks as the best place for singles in South Dakota if you care about things singles care about, like nightlife, affordable housing, and other singles.
Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each city ranked. If you live in or are close to one of these cities and are single, you should probably get out more often.
Just saying.
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Dakota
- Most Dangerous Cities In South Dakota
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In South Dakota For 2024
/10
Population: 11,667
Median Age: 23.0
Married households: 11.0%
Households with kids: 23.9%
More on Vermillion: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 23,530
Median Age: 24.5
Married households: 15.0%
Households with kids: 23.5%
More on Brookings: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 193,401
Median Age: 34.9
Married households: 24.0%
Households with kids: 31.5%
More on Sioux Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
I enjoy Sioux Falls since there’s a little bit of everything. Airport near the north end for when I go on vacation, plenty of great restaurants around, some really nice bars downtown, and I can generally find what I’m looking for here.
The amount of construction going around where I live and work
4. Springfield
/10
Population: 2,216
Median Age: 36.9
Married households: 11.0%
Households with kids: 14.0%
More on Springfield: Real Estate
5. Volga
/10
Population: 2,043
Median Age: 27.9
Married households: 29.0%
Households with kids: 23.9%
More on Volga: Real Estate
/10
Population: 28,388
Median Age: 35.6
Married households: 29.0%
Households with kids: 25.0%
More on Aberdeen: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
/10
/10
Population: 15,656
Median Age: 39.3
Married households: 28.0%
Households with kids: 21.7%
More on Mitchell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Crimes aren’t quietly heard of here, if so mostly drugs, c*****e, m**h, marijuana, etc. Schools are great here, teachers very respectful and discipline well. Neighborhoods usually quiet and quite peaceful.
Twin Dragon Chinese, Bike Trail, Pump Track.
/10
Population: 15,421
Median Age: 39.9
Married households: 25.0%
Households with kids: 25.0%
More on Yankton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How do you determine which city is best for singles in South Dakota anyways?
To give you the places in South Dakota which are best for singles to find one another, we used Saturday Night Science to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city and make some assumptions about what single people like.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2018-2022 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of South Dakota, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Population density
- % of population that’s male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
- % of households with kids
- Median age
- Number of unmarried people in each city
We then gave each city a “Singles Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with over 2,000 people. For South Dakota, that meant a total of 38 cities.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the best cities for singles in South Dakota.
Read on to see why Vermillion is the talk of the town while Fort Pierre is probably a bit on the bland side.
Summary: The Best Cities for Singles in South Dakota for 2024
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in South Dakota ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.
The best cities for singles in South Dakota are Vermillion, Brookings, Sioux Falls, Springfield, Volga, Aberdeen, Hot Springs, Mobridge, Mitchell, and Yankton.
Here’s a look at the most boring cities in South Dakota according to the data:
- Fort Pierre
- Canton
- Milbank
For more South Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Dakota
- Safest Places In South Dakota
- Worst Places To Live In South Dakota
Best Cities For Singles In South Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | Median Age | % Married Households | % Households /w Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermillion, SD | 11,667 | 23.0 | 11.0% | 23.9% |
| 2 | Brookings, SD | 23,530 | 24.5 | 15.0% | 23.5% |
| 3 | Sioux Falls, SD | 193,401 | 34.9 | 24.0% | 31.5% |
| 4 | Springfield, SD | 2,216 | 36.9 | 11.0% | 14.0% |
| 5 | Volga, SD | 2,043 | 27.9 | 29.0% | 23.9% |
| 6 | Aberdeen, SD | 28,388 | 35.6 | 29.0% | 25.0% |
| 7 | Hot Springs, SD | 3,465 | 56.3 | 14.0% | 12.8% |
| 8 | Mobridge, SD | 3,130 | 42.4 | 30.0% | 21.6% |
| 9 | Mitchell, SD | 15,656 | 39.3 | 28.0% | 21.7% |
| 10 | Yankton, SD | 15,421 | 39.9 | 25.0% | 25.0% |
| 11 | Madison, SD | 6,271 | 37.5 | 25.0% | 24.1% |
| 12 | Elk Point, SD | 2,177 | 33.8 | 19.0% | 40.3% |
| 13 | Parkston, SD | 2,003 | 37.2 | 42.0% | 29.1% |
| 14 | Huron, SD | 14,179 | 34.8 | 23.0% | 36.1% |
| 15 | Tea, SD | 5,922 | 30.2 | 35.0% | 59.5% |
| 16 | Sturgis, SD | 7,121 | 42.0 | 24.0% | 24.5% |
| 17 | Spearfish, SD | 12,268 | 38.4 | 20.0% | 21.8% |
| 18 | Harrisburg, SD | 7,157 | 30.8 | 36.0% | 50.2% |
| 19 | Brandon, SD | 10,919 | 38.2 | 27.0% | 38.4% |
| 20 | Sisseton, SD | 2,564 | 34.1 | 25.0% | 37.0% |
| 21 | Watertown, SD | 22,718 | 38.9 | 32.0% | 25.6% |
| 22 | Belle Fourche, SD | 5,670 | 36.0 | 24.0% | 34.1% |
| 23 | Flandreau, SD | 2,246 | 37.5 | 22.0% | 32.5% |
| 24 | Lead, SD | 2,993 | 45.5 | 25.0% | 13.6% |
| 25 | Box Elder, SD | 11,905 | 28.6 | 12.0% | 38.1% |
| 26 | Summerset, SD | 2,950 | 33.4 | 23.0% | 41.3% |
| 27 | Beresford, SD | 2,419 | 37.6 | 35.0% | 35.5% |
| 28 | Redfield, SD | 2,253 | 47.3 | 24.0% | 22.8% |
| 29 | Pierre, SD | 14,105 | 39.6 | 25.0% | 32.2% |
| 30 | Custer, SD | 2,043 | 57.6 | 23.0% | 18.7% |
| 31 | Dell Rapids, SD | 3,953 | 38.7 | 49.0% | 33.8% |
| 32 | Lennox, SD | 2,603 | 37.4 | 35.0% | 35.1% |
| 33 | Chamberlain, SD | 2,538 | 40.6 | 30.0% | 30.8% |
| 34 | Winner, SD | 2,905 | 43.7 | 34.0% | 24.9% |
| 35 | Hartford, SD | 3,340 | 38.6 | 36.0% | 40.6% |
| 36 | Milbank, SD | 3,506 | 42.3 | 32.0% | 26.0% |
| 37 | Canton, SD | 3,060 | 43.6 | 30.0% | 29.8% |
| 38 | Fort Pierre, SD | 2,522 | 42.4 | 33.0% | 23.1% |