What Is the Cost of the American Dream in South Dakota?

We all have our own ideas about what the "American Dream" is. However, according to several sources, it is the belief that anyone "has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life".

To determine how much achieving the American Dream will cost you, GO Banking Rates gave it its own definition. They defined it as "a married couple with two children, owning a home for four along with a car and a pet".

They rated all 50 states according to the amount that would need to be spent to achieve their version of the American Dream.

South Dakota placed 10th overall in this comparison of all 50 states. Here are the South Dakota statistics.

The true cost of the American Dream in South Dakota: $135,319
Total annual cost: $67,659
Grocery cost per year: $8,060
Pet care costs: $1,173
Annual car costs: $8,733
Median home price: $293,085
Annual mortgage: $21,903
Healthcare annual costs: $7,235
Utilities annual costs:$5,212
Education annual costs: $2,483
Child care annual costs: $12,860

Whether you agree or not with the definition GO Banking Rates based their study on, it is still interesting to see the results.

Iowa placed 12th and Minnesota was much farther down the list at 35th place in the study.

The 10 Largest Occupations in South Dakota

Where do people in South Dakota work?

If you were a South Dakotan a hundred years ago, chances are you had a job related to farming or ranching. If you weren't doing the farming, you were selling things to the farmers, fixing things for the farmers, or buying things from the farmers.

In the 2020s, things are very different.

Most of us in the SD work in health care or the service industry in one way or another. In fact, there are more nurses in South Dakota than the entire population of the state capital, Pierre.

Today far more people work at a store or restaurant than have probably ever even been on a farm. Time passes and things change, always. Fifty years from now who knows what jobs South Dakotans will be doing

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the top 10 largest occupations in South Dakota (as of 2022).

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

Seven Mind-Blowing Wonders' of South Dakota

I think most of us have at least heard of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World." We might not be able to rattle them off as easily as McDonald's value menu items, but chances are you've heard of at least some of them, right?

There's the Great Wall of China. Chichén Itzá, a Mayan City on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The ancient city of Petra, in Jordan. Machu Picchu in Peru. Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro. The Colosseum in Rome, and finally, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

Every state in the nation is known for having a series of natural wonders and signature landmarks. So, I thought I would come up with my own list of the "Seven Wonders of South Dakota."

The following is what I consider to be the signature landmarks, monuments, and natural wonders that are synonymous with the great state of South Dakota. I tried to give both sides of the state a little love while comprising this list.

You might have a few additions...

Let's get started. The Seven Wonders of South Dakota: