While the city is seen as the state’s cultural center, Sioux Falls still maintains a low crime rate, rare traffic congestion, and little pollution.
City: Sioux Falls
State: South Dakota
Best Cities Overall Rank: 11
About Sioux Falls: This former cow town has some of the nation’s best parklands with over 2,913 acres of dedicated land.
While the city is seen as the state’s cultural center, it still maintains a low crime rate, rare traffic congestion, and little pollution. With a 13 to 1 pupil to teacher ratio, their education system is excellent.
County: Minnehaha
Population: 154,997
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Newspaper with the largest circulation: Argus Leader
Sioux Falls blogs:
Sioux Falls‘s Twitter page: Follow Sioux Falls on Twitter
Education rank: 60
High School graduation rate 2008: 85.59%
Blue Ribbon Schools, 2003-2009: 2
Blue Ribbon Schools per 100,000 people: 1.29
NEAYC-accredited preschools: 1
NAEYC schools per 100,000 people: 0.65
NAEP State proficiency reading, grade 8: 257
Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 13.3
Total Expenditures Per Student: $8,455
Health rank: 3
Quality children’s hospitals: 2
Hospitals per 100,000 people: 1.29
Quality Pediatricians: 0
Quality Pediatricians per 100,000: 0
Average number of Unhealthy Air Quality days between 2006-2008, by county: 0
Safety rank: 45
Violent Crimes, 2008: 522
Violent Crime Rate per 100,000: 336.78
Sex Offenders: 452
Sex Offenders per 100,000: 291.62
Economy rank: 3
Travel time to work, 2006-2008, in minutes: 15.6
Percent of labor force unemployed, January 2010: 5.5
Best Performing Cities Job Index: 226.56
Median Home List Price: $159,900
Recreation Rank: 29
Parkland acreage, 2008 (includes pools and playgrounds): 2,913
Parkland per 100,000: 1,879.39
