Average IQ in South Dakota: Estimates & Context
Estimated Avg IQ
~101
US Ranking
#15
of 50 states
Region
Midwest
Note: No state administers IQ tests to its residents. These estimates are proxy conversions from standardized achievement scores (NAEP, SAT, ACT) — an approach popularized by McDaniel's 2006 state-IQ estimates in the journal Intelligence — combined with demographic data. Proxy conversions carry real limitations: SAT/ACT participation rates differ sharply by state and bias comparisons, and the variation within any state dwarfs the differences between states. Figures are shown rounded; decimal precision would overstate what these proxies can support. They say nothing about any individual resident.
About South Dakota's IQ Ranking
South Dakota ranks above average with strong rural school systems, low crime, and high community involvement in education. Sioux Falls has emerged as a growing regional economic center. The state's small population allows for close-knit educational communities. However, Native American reservations face severe educational challenges, creating one of the state's most significant equity gaps.
What Shapes South Dakota's Cognitive Profile
Citibank moved its credit card operations to Sioux Falls in 1981 after South Dakota abolished usury caps, an obscure legal decision that built the financial services industry now employing thousands and helped make the city the state's growth engine alongside the sprawling Sanford Health system. For years South Dakota paid teachers less than any other state until a dedicated half-cent sales tax in 2016 finally lifted salaries off the bottom. The South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City posts job placement rates and starting salaries that rival far more famous engineering schools. The deeper divide is geographic: Oglala Lakota County, inside the Pine Ridge Reservation, has ranked among the poorest counties in America, and reservation schools post the state's lowest outcomes by wide margins, while farm country districts perform solidly. Dual credit enrollment among high schoolers is unusually widespread. The estimated average above the national mean coexists with some of the starkest internal gaps any state contains.
For global context, see how the US compares in our United States IQ page and the full country rankings.
South Dakota vs Other Midwest States
| State | Average IQ | US Rank |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | ~101 | #15 |
| Minnesota | ~104 | #5 |
| Iowa | ~103 | #8 |
| Wisconsin | ~103 | #10 |
| North Dakota | ~103 | #10 |
| Nebraska | ~101 | #15 |
| Kansas | ~102 | #16 |
| Illinois | ~100 | #22 |
| Ohio | ~100 | #24 |
| Michigan | ~99 | #25 |
| Missouri | ~100 | #26 |
| Indiana | ~99 | #27 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average IQ in South Dakota?
South Dakota's estimated average IQ is 101.4, ranking #15. Strong rural schools and community involvement produce above-average outcomes, though reservation communities face significant challenges.
Why does South Dakota rank high for a rural state?
South Dakota benefits from close-knit communities invested in education, low poverty rates outside reservations, small class sizes, and growing economic opportunity in Sioux Falls. The state's culture values practical education.
How does South Dakota address reservation education?
Education on South Dakota's reservations remains a significant challenge, with poverty, limited resources, and historical trauma affecting outcomes. The gap between reservation and non-reservation schools is one of the state's most pressing educational equity issues.
Explore Other States
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MyIQScores Editorial Team
Editorial team focused on cognitive testing & psychometrics research
Last updated
May 10, 2026
MyIQScores content is written and maintained by our editorial team using published research in cognitive psychology and psychometrics as its source base. We label estimates as estimates, link primary sources where available, correct errors when readers flag them, and update pages as research or feedback warrants — see our corrections policy.