South Dakota Sex Offender Statistics (2026)
As of August 2026, we index about 4,140 sex-offender registry records in South Dakota — the 38th-most of the 56 US jurisdictions, at 4.7 per 1,000 residents. These are counts of the records in our continuously updated index, rounded and dated — not South Dakota’s official figures.
South Dakota against the national average
Registrants we index, with the rate per 1,000 residents (2020 Census population). Neighboring jurisdictions are listed for scale; each links to its own statistics page.
| Jurisdiction | Registrants indexed (approx.) | Per 1,000 residents | Rank by count |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | ≈ 4,140 | 4.7 | 38th |
| United States (all 58 registries) | ≈ 1,560,000 | 4.7 | — |
| Iowa | ≈ 7,170 | 2.2 | 30th |
| Minnesota | ≈ 1,480 | 0.3 | 50th |
| Montana | ≈ 6,730 | 6.2 | 31st |
| Nebraska | ≈ 7,240 | 3.7 | 29th |
| North Dakota | ≈ 2,250 | 2.9 | 47th |
| Wyoming | ≈ 2,620 | 4.5 | 46th |
Cite this: ≈4,140 sex-offender registry records indexed in South Dakota (4.7 per 1,000 residents) — Offendersearch, South Dakota Sex Offender Statistics (August 2026). https://offendersearch.app/sex-offender-statistics/south-dakota#headline
South Dakota at a glance
- About 4,140 registry records indexed, the 38th-largest count of the 56 US jurisdictions.
- That is under 1% of the registrants we index nationwide.
- 4.7 per 1,000 residents, close to the national average of 4.7.
- 4th by rate per resident among jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records.
- Largest local count among the cities we publish pages for: Sioux Falls, about 1,409.
- Largest county count among the counties we publish pages for: Minnehaha County, about 1,368.
Against its neighbors
- South Dakota is about 108% above Iowa (4.7 vs 2.2 per 1,000).
- South Dakota is about 1700% above Minnesota (4.7 vs 0.3 per 1,000).
- South Dakota is about 25% below Montana (4.7 vs 6.2 per 1,000).
- South Dakota is about 26% above Nebraska (4.7 vs 3.7 per 1,000).
- South Dakota is about 62% above North Dakota (4.7 vs 2.9 per 1,000).
- South Dakota is close to Wyoming (4.7 vs 4.5 per 1,000).
Where South Dakota ranks
South Dakota holds the 38th-largest count of registrants we index among the 56 US jurisdictions — just behind Massachusetts (≈4,180) and ahead of Delaware (≈4,030). South Dakota's rate of 4.7 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 4th among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. South Dakota's rate is higher than 5 of its 6 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 1. Absolute size and per-capita rate order the states very differently — the full rankings are on the count ranking and the per-capita ranking.
Housing status (national estimate). No per-state housing figure is published here, because our housing data is a national sample estimate: across 6,668 sampled records nationwide, 5.7% of registrants with a known housing status were homeless or had no fixed address as of August 2026. That figure describes the country, not South Dakota — the breakdown is on the national statistics page.
Where South Dakota’s registrants live
The largest local counts among the South Dakota cities and counties we publish pages for, with the rate per 10,000 residents so places of different size compare fairly.
| City | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | ≈ 1,409 | 73.2 |
| Rapid City | ≈ 393 | 52.6 |
| County | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | ≈ 1,368 | 69.4 |
| Pennington County | ≈ 428 | 39.2 |
What these South Dakota numbers measure
Every figure on this page is a count of the registry records in our continuously updated index that carry a South Dakota address, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Rates divide that rounded count by the 2020 Census population, so they describe scale, not precision to the last person. Local counts cover the cities and counties we publish pages for, not every town in the state.
Registry sizes are not a direct measure of risk. States set their own rules on who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown to the public, so two states with similar populations can carry very different counts. Use the comparison for context, and a search for any question about a specific person or address.
South Dakota's registry publishes a full date of birth, so if you know the person's birthday a match can be confirmed precisely. With a common name, a matching date of birth is the fastest way to tell two people apart.
How to search South Dakota’s registry
South Dakota’s own public search is South Dakota Sex Offender Registry (DCI), which covers South Dakota only. A search here covers South Dakota and every other US registry in one pass, returns photographs and the official record link for each result, and can be narrowed to a city, county or ZIP — or run outward from a street address.
South Dakota registry search guide · Search by address · Alerts when someone moves in
South Dakota county figures
South Dakota statistics, answered
How many registered sex offenders live in South Dakota?
As of August 2026, we index about 4,140 sex-offender registry records in South Dakota — the 38th-most of the 56 US jurisdictions. That is a count of the records in our continuously updated index, not South Dakota's official figure: registries add, remove and amend records all the time, so the live answer for a specific person comes from a search, not a table.
How many sex offenders does South Dakota have per capita?
About 4.7 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents, using the 2020 Census population as the denominator. South Dakota's rate of 4.7 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 4th among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. A rate describes the size of a registry relative to population — jurisdictions differ in who must register, for how long, and which registrants they publish, so it is a scale comparison rather than a safety measure.
Which South Dakota city has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the South Dakota cities we publish local pages for, Sioux Falls has the most registrants we index, at about 1,409, followed by Rapid City (about 393). Big cities lead on raw counts because they have more people; the per-10,000 column is the fairer comparison.
Which South Dakota county has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the South Dakota counties we publish pages for, Minnehaha County has the most registrants we index, at about 1,368. Each county page breaks that figure down by city.
How does South Dakota compare with neighboring states?
South Dakota's rate is higher than 5 of its 6 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 1. Rates differ partly because states set different rules for who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown publicly, so a neighbor comparison describes registry size relative to population rather than relative risk.
Where can I search South Dakota's sex offender registry?
South Dakota's own public search is South Dakota Sex Offender Registry (DCI), which covers South Dakota only. A search here covers South Dakota and every other US registry at once, with photographs and links to each official record, and can be narrowed to a South Dakota city, county or ZIP.
Are these South Dakota's official registry numbers?
No — they are approximate counts of the registrants we index for South Dakota, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Jurisdictions count different things (people, registrations, addresses) and publish on their own terms, so no single official national table exists. For a legal or research purpose that requires South Dakota's official figure, request it from the state registry authority.
Registry data is not a consumer report, and decisions made on it are regulated in that use.
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