crimebycounty

South Dakota Crime & Safety

Crime rates and safety scores for all 66 counties.

Avg Violent Crime Rate

132.0

per 100K

Avg Property Crime Rate

657.0

per 100K

Avg Safety Score

73/100

State Overview

Crime & Safety in South Dakota

National Context

South Dakota maintains a low-crime profile

South Dakota's average total crime rate of 788.1 per 100,000 residents sits far below the national average of 2,385.5. This makes the state one of the most statistically safe regions in the country.

Violent vs. Property Crime

Property crimes represent the majority of reports

Property crime dominates the landscape at 656.5 incidents per 100,000, while the violent crime rate remains low at 131.6. Both figures are significantly lower than national benchmarks of 2,015.7 and 369.8, respectively.

Safest Counties

Pristine safety records in rural counties

Buffalo, Douglas, and Grant Counties all report a total crime rate of 0.0 per 100,000 residents. These areas stand out for their lack of reported criminal activity across both violent and property categories.

Crime Hotspots

Concentrated activity in populated hubs

Lincoln County shows a high total crime rate of 11,779.5 per 100,000, largely driven by property offenses. Pennington and Davison Counties also report rates above the state average, reflecting the complexities of urbanized or high-traffic corridors.

The Takeaway

A secure choice with localized variations

With a total crime rate roughly one-third the national average, South Dakota remains a safe haven for most residents. While specific areas like Lincoln County see more frequent activity, the state's overall safety profile is exceptional.

All South Dakota Counties

CountySafety Score
Buffalo County98/100
Douglas County98/100
Grant County98/100
Haakon County98/100
Hanson County98/100
Harding County98/100
Hyde County98/100
Jackson County98/100
Mellette County98/100
Oglala Lakota County98/100
Todd County98/100
Ziebach County98/100
Bon Homme County94/100
Edmunds County94/100
Dewey County94/100
Hutchinson County94/100
Sully County93/100
Hand County92/100
Campbell County92/100
Faulk County92/100
Potter County91/100
Perkins County91/100
Sanborn County91/100
Clark County91/100
Roberts County90/100
Minnehaha County90/100
Miner County90/100
Jerauld County90/100
Fall River County89/100
Marshall County88/100
Gregory County87/100
Aurora County86/100
Kingsbury County86/100
Day County84/100
Turner County84/100
Stanley County84/100
Spink County83/100
Hamlin County82/100
Deuel County81/100
Charles Mix County81/100
McCook County80/100
Walworth County79/100
Tripp County75/100
Lyman County74/100
Lake County68/100
McPherson County68/100
Corson County66/100
Jones County66/100
Union County66/100
Moody County66/100
Butte County60/100
Beadle County57/100
Brookings County48/100
Custer County44/100
Codington County34/100
Brown County33/100
Bennett County30/100
Lawrence County29/100
Hughes County25/100
Clay County24/100
Brule County22/100
Meade County20/100
Yankton County16/100
Davison County15/100
Pennington County5/100
Lincoln County0/100

Crime rates per 100K population. — = data pending.

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Data Sources

Crime data sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR) and County Health Rankings. Safety scores are derived composite metrics.

Data is informational only. Not legal or security advice. Coverage varies by county and reporting year.

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