Small Cities, Big Recognition for These South Dakota Communities

South Dakota's Small Cities Shine in National Rankings

There are plenty of things we can argue about here in South Dakota. Which town has the best restaurants? Who makes the best chislic? Which community throws the best summer festival?

And if you ask me, we have a whole lot of great small cities from one end of the state to the other. Of course, nobody at WalletHub asked me.

Get our free mobile app

But that didn't stop WalletHub from taking a pretty serious look at small cities across America, and South Dakota comes out looking pretty good.

Two South Dakota communities - Aberdeen and Rapid City - made WalletHub's latest list of America's best small cities.

What Makes a City Great?

WalletHub compared 1,318 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000, looking at 45 different measures of what makes a community a good place to live. And they weren't just looking at one or two things.

The study considered five major categories: Affordability, Economic Health, Education & Health, Quality of Life, and Safety. That means they dug into everything from housing costs and homeownership rates to household income, unemployment, job growth, and poverty.

Then there are the quality-of-life measurements. Things like commute times, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, museums, movie theaters, performing arts centers, fitness centers, and other attractions all factor into the study.

Safety also plays a big role, with WalletHub examining violent and property crime, traffic fatalities, pedestrian deaths, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, and drug-poisoning deaths.

Celebrating Recognition For Aberdeen and Rapid City

In other words, this wasn't simply a popularity contest. WalletHub combined all of those numbers to come up with an overall score for each community.

And while South Dakotans probably don't need a national study to tell us that our smaller communities have plenty going for them, it's still nice to see Aberdeen and Rapid City getting some national recognition.

After all, we already knew South Dakota had some pretty great places to live.

You can see all of the details, including the methodology and the complete list of cities, at WalletHub's Best Small Cities in America study.

South Dakota's Biggest Free Playground Is Open And Awesome!

Gallery Credit: Jacobson Plaza Sioux Falls-Ben Davis

Dives Worth a Drive in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota

Almost every small South Dakota town has a watering hole. It’s where the locals go to kick back a few brews and engage in conversation.

Some of these establishments are located in buildings almost as old as the town itself. There might be a fresh coat of paint on the walls or new vinyl on the booth seats, but the ambiance is still reminiscent of a good ol’ dive.

If you think a "dive" is all about the sketchy clientele, the smell of the Devil’s lettuce, and stale Grain Belt, you’d be wrong. Not every dive has a bad reputation.

What makes a dive, a dive?

A dive has character. Neon beer signs and local memorabilia adorn the walls.

You might find a pool table, dart board, and a few video lottery machines.

The bartender knows the regulars by name and they know what you drink.

Some dives don't even serve food except for bags of chips and pickled eggs that sit in a jar of brine on the bar.

Dives aren't fancy. You might see 70's-style wood panels on the walls and wobbly tables leveled with a folded napkin.

Finally, the bathrooms. The bathrooms in dives are in a class by themselves and could be a whole topic on its own.

There are several small-town dives in our area with friendly faces, cheap booze with a burn, and even really good food! We use the term "dive" in the most affectionate way.

Here are some of the best and why you should go there.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown