State of South Dakota Logo Fact Sheet

[ Executive Branch | Elected Offices | Legislative Branch | Judicial Branch | Budgets ]

Executive Branch
bullet Governor's Office
bullet Governor Rounds took office January 11th, 2003
bullet Lt. Governor's Office
bullet Department of Agriculture
bullet South Dakota uses Project Learning Tree to educate its students about the environment.
bullet Keeps a register of the largest reported tree species found in the state.
bullet The official State Tree is the "Black Hills Spruce" or Picea glauca var. densata.
bullet Department of Corrections
bullet There are currently four inmates sentenced to death in South Dakota.
bullet South Dakota Codified Law allows for an execution to be carried out by lethal injection.
bullet Inmates are required to pay for their incarceration costs if they do not have other financial obligations. Parents are responsible for juveniles.
bullet In state fiscal year 2004 (July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004), the cost to house an inmate by adult facility was:
Facility Cost per day Cost per year
South Dakota State Penitentiary $40.49 $14,778.31
Mike Durfee State Prison $37.11 $13,546.20
South Dakota Women's Prison $42.19 $15,400.57
bullet Department of Education
bullet In 2004-2005, there were 168 public school districts and 80 non-public school districts in South Dakota.
bullet In 2004-2005, there were 710 public schools and 140 non-public schools in South Dakota.
bullet In 2004-2005, the average salary for a South Dakota teacher is $34,040.
bullet Department of Environment and Natural Resources
bullet Regulates 148 producing oil wells, 69 producing gas wells, 1941 licensed mine sites, 47 asphalt plants, 121 rock crushers, 30 large scale mines, 17 small scale mines, and 39 exploration operations.
bullet Water Rights program monitors over 1652 water observation wells and cooperates with the USGS in maintaining 51 stream gauging stations.
bullet There have been 79 recorded earthquakes with epicenters in South Dakota. The most recent was on January 2004 in Pennington County. It registered 2.5 on the Richter scale.
bullet Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
bullet South Dakota Fishing Records
bullet There are 39 State Parks and Recreation/Nature areas in the state.
bullet Department of Health
bullet In 2003 South Dakota had:
bullet 62 licensed hospitals, totaling 3,254 beds
bullet 112 nursing facilities, totaling 7,252 beds
bullet 160 assisted living centers, totaling 3,381 beds
bullet 1.7 AIDS cases per 100,000 population; between 1985 and 2004, SD has reported cumulative total of 462 HIV infections and 274 AIDS cases
bullet 11,022 total births
bullet 7,109 total deaths
bullet 6,427 marriages and 2,502 divorces
bullet Heart disease leading cause of death with 1,942 deaths; cancer second with 1,645 deaths
bullet 1,422 licensed doctors
bullet 253 licensed physician assistants
bullet Department of Human Services
bullet South Dakota DHS has the second highest employment rate for people with disabilities in the nation.
bullet Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
bullet Treatment
bullet 63 Accredited Providers serve 17,402 individuals per year
bullet Pre-authorization for residential services funded by public sector dollars
bullet Comprehensive treatment services within Department of Corrections Facilities
bullet Household survey data - 53,000 adults in need of treatment for AODA issues
bullet Outcome data inpatient - 44% abstinence rate one year post-treatment
bullet Specialized treatment services for methamphetamine addicted clients.
bullet Specialized services for pregnant women, women with dependent children
bullet Gambling treatment services
bullet Prevention
bullet The State also partners with schools and communities to provide school based preventionists. In 2005, these services reached 36,000 + South Dakota students.
bullet 13 Statewide Community Mobilization Projects
bullet Statewide secondary early intervention programming for youth involved with the Unified Judicial System -12,900+ youth served since the programs inception.
bullet Four Prevention Resource Centers that provide training and primary prevention activities statewide on alcohol, drug and tobacco issues
bullet Synar tobacco compliance rate for 2005 - 4.3%. National goal is 20% compliance rate per year.
bullet Department of Labor
bullet Division of Workforce Information
bullet Health care and social assistance is the fastest growing industry in South Dakota. Arts; entertainment and recreation is second.
bullet The number of South Dakotans who would be available to staff a new or expanding business was estimated at 78,005 in October 2005.
bullet The average annual pay in South Dakota statewide was $28,444 in November 2005.
bullet Division of Workforce Training
bullet Job Corps is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive residential job training and education program. It costs qualified youth nothing to attend, equivalent to a $25,000 scholarship.
bullet There are 13 Department of Labor affiliate Career Learning Centers statewide.
bullet There are 16 Department of Labor funded Alternative High Schools statewide.
bullet Labor and Management Division
bullet There are six federal posting requirements and two state posting requirements for employers.
bullet The maximum weekly workers’ compensation rate equals $533 per week.
bullet South Dakota does not have a law that requires an employer to provide rest breaks and meal periods.
bullet Division of Unemployment Insurance
bullet Employers who have registered with the Unemployment Insurance Tax Division and have an active account number now have the option of filing quarterly wage reports online.
bullet The unemployment rate in South Dakota was 4.0% in November 2005. The national rate is 5.5%.
bullet Field Operations Division
bullet There are 15 South Dakota Career Centers located statewide. Each year, South Dakota Career Centers fill more than 50,000 job openings.
bullet There are over 30,000 job seekers registered with SDWORKS, the department’s online job search engine.
bullet Department of the Lottery
bullet The Lottery has raised more than $1.2 billion in state revenue since 1987, benefiting property tax relief, water and environmental projects, capital construction projects, transportation, and general government programs.
bullet Scratch ticket players have won more than $144 million in prizes since sales began in 1987.
Lotto players have won more than $95 million in prizes since sales began in 1990.
bullet Winning Numbers and Game Information
bullet Department of Military and Veteran's Affairs
bullet Department of Public Safety
bullet Department of Revenue and Regulation
bullet South Dakota is one of only two states with no corporate income tax, no personal income tax, no personal property tax and no business inventory tax.
bullet There are 3,734 real estate licensees in the state of South Dakota.
bullet During FY 2005, the Division of Insurance assisted consumers in recovering $2,957,416.36 for insurance claims and premium returns.
bullet Since it's inception in 1988, the Petroleum Release Compensation Fund has reimbursed eligible covered parties $77.6 million for assessment and cleanup costs at 4007 petroleum release sites.
bullet The Division of Banking currently regulates 71 banks and 21 independent trust companies.
bullet There are 90 different state taxes and fees collected by the Department of Revenue.
bullet Department of Social Services

Economic Assistance
bullet 1,235 homes were weatherized under the Weatherization program in 2005.
bullet In 2005, 17,573 households were served under the Energy Assistance program.
bullet 21,684 is the average number of households that qualified for food stamps each month in 2005.
bullet 2,758 is the average number of TANF cases in 2005.

Medical and Adult Services
bullet 97,810 people were eligible for Title XIX (Medicaid) and Title XXI (CHIP) in 2005.
bullet In 2005, 4,321 clients were served with homemaker services.
bullet 952 is the number of personal care clients served in 2005.
bullet 1,271 clients were served by the respite care/caregiver program.
bullet Through the elderly nutrition program, 10,714 clients were served congregate meals and 4,167 clients were served home-delivered meals in 2005.
bullet The Department funded nursing facility services for 3,941people and assisted living services for 690 people in 2005.
bullet 15,691 unduplicated victims were served under the Domestic Abuse Program in 2005.

 Children’s Services
bullet 41,790 child support cases were served throughout the state in 2005.
bullet 677 paternities were established in 2005.
bullet In 2005, 19,254 requests were received for all types of child protection services, which included 15, 774 reports of abuse and neglect.
bullet 4,467 children were found at risk of maltreatment in 2005.
bullet A monthly average of 4,892 children were served through child care assistance in 2005.
bullet In 2005, there were 907 registered family day care providers, 93 licensed group family day care centers, 146 licensed day care centers, and 153 licensed out-of-school time programs.

Department of Transportation
bullet South Dakota has 83,609 miles of highways, roads and streets. This statewide system carried over 8.4 billion vehicle miles of travel in 2003. The SDDOT is responsible for 7,857 miles of the roadway system. Although only 9.4% of the total mileage, the state highway system carries nearly 70% of all vehicle miles traveled.
bullet South Dakota has 5,905 bridges on the state and local government highway system. Of these, 1,793 bridges are on the state system and 4,112 are on the local government system. Even though the local government system has over twice as many bridges, the state bridges are larger, meaning they have more deck area (driving surface). The total bridge deck area for state bridges is 10,500,000 square feet, while the total bridge deck area for local government bridges is 6,875,000 square feet.
bullet The longest bridge in South Dakota is located on highway SD 44 over the Missouri River between Winner and Platte.
bullet There are nine highway bridges across the Missouri River in South Dakota.
bullet The typical driving lane on a state highway in South Dakota is 12 feet wide.
bullet The Interstate system in South Dakota consists of 263.8 miles on I-29 and I-229, and 414.8 miles on I-90 and I-190, for a total of 679 miles.
bullet The Interstate system accounts for only 8.6% of the state highway miles in South Dakota, yet carries approximately 40% of all vehicle miles traveled in the state on state highways. To illustrate the growth in traffic, in 1965 the Interstate carried about 900 million vehicle miles as compared to 2.3 billion vehicle miles in 2003.
bullet The Department typically budgets about $7 million for winter snow and ice removal each fiscal year.
bullet The per gallon federal motor fuel excise tax is 18.4 cents on gasoline, 13.6 cents on LPG, 24.4 cents on diesel fuel, 13.0 cents on gasohol, 19.4 cents on aviation gas, and 4.4 cents on jet fuel. These monies go to the Federal Highway Trust Fund.
bullet The current per gallon state motor fuel excise tax, which went into effect April 1, 1999, is 22 cents on gasoline, 20 cents on LPG, 22 cents on diesel fuel, 20 cents on gasohol, 6 cents on aviation gas, and 4 cents on jet fuel. Jet fuel for non-commercial use is taxed at 21.9 cents.
bullet The South Dakota Department of Transportation has a budget of over $430 million for FY2005. $130 million of the budget is for general operations with the remaining $300 million for construction contracts. Over 70% of the budget is used to contract for road and airport construction and road maintenance.
bullet The Department of Transportation employs 986 full-time and 88 seasonal employees.

bullet Department of Tourism & State Development
bullet State Capital: Pierre (Peer), population 13,983
bullet State Nickname: The Mount Rushmore State
bullet State Bird: Chinese Ring-Necked Pheasant
bullet State Flower: Pasque
bullet State Animal: Coyote
bullet State Fish: Walleye
bullet State Insect: Honey Bee
bullet State Tree: Black Hills Spruce
bullet State Song: Hail, South Dakota
bullet State Motto: Under God the People Rule
bullet State Sport: Rodeo
bullet Climate
bullet Average January temperatures: 10F (-12C) in the northeast to 25F (-4C) in the southwest
bullet Average July temperatures: 69F (21C) in the Black Hills to 75F (24C) in the southcentral part of the state
bullet Average annual precipitation: 80-90% falls as rain, 14 inches (36 cm) in the northwest to 25 inches (64 cm) in the southeast; 22 inches (56 cm) in the Black Hills
bullet Average annual snowfall: 24-30 inches (61-76 cm) across most of the state; 60-100 inches (152-254 cm) in the Black Hills
bullet Record low temperature: -58F (-50C) at McIntosh, February 17, 1936
bullet Record high temperature: 120F (49C) at Gann Valley, July 3, 1936
bullet Winter (December - early March). While temperatures can be cold, cold spells usually alternate with milder weather. Snowfall is prevalent, providing excellent conditions for winter sports
bullet Spring (late March - mid-June). Mostly sunny days, but this can be the rainy season. Spring snow showers are a possibility through early May. Temperatures can range from the 40s (4C) to the 80s (27C). When the sun's shining, the early spring flowers are out in full force
bullet Summer (mid-June - mid-September). Warm (sometimes hot) days and cool nights are the norm from mid-June through mid-September
bullet Fall (mid-September - November). Beautiful days with comfortable warm weather through September and crisp cool weather into November make fall an excellent time to explore South Dakota
bullet Geography
bullet The state encompasses 77,123 square miles (200,520 sq km). 380 miles (608 km) across from east to west. 245 miles (392 km) from north to south
bullet South Dakota ranks 16th in size among the 50 states
bullet Prominent Geographical Features:
bullet Black Hills, Badlands, Missouri River reservoirs, Glacial Lakes
bullet Highest Point: Harney Peak; 7,242 feet (2,173 m)
bullet Lowest Point: Big Stone Lake; 962 feet (289 m)
bullet Major Rivers: Missouri River, James River, Cheyenne River
bullet The Missouri River divides the state approximately in half, running north to south
bullet South Dakota is bounded on the north by North Dakota; on the east by Minnesota, Iowa, and the Big Sioux and Red Rivers; on the south by Nebraska and the Missouri River; on the west by Wyoming and Montana
bullet 2004 Populations
bullet State: 770,883
bullet Five Largest Cities
bullet Sioux Falls: 136,695
bullet Rapid City: 61,459
bullet Aberdeen: 24,196
bullet Watertown: 20,207
bullet Brookings: 18,705
bullet Office of Economic Development
bullet South Dakota's population grew 8.5 percent from 1990 - 2000.
bullet South Dakota ranks first nationally for economic environment for entrepreneurship according to the 2004 Small Business Survival Index.
bullet South Dakota is the ninth most livable state in the nation.
bullet Tourism is one of South Dakota’s largest industries, generating approximately $1.9 billion worth of economic activity each year and employing 33,000 people. More than 2.7 million people visit Mount Rushmore, South Dakota’s top attraction, each year.
bullet Farms and Land (2004)
bullet Number of Farms: 31,600.
bullet Average Farm Size: 1,386 acres.
bullet Average Value: $500/acre (land & buildings).
bullet Land in Farms: 43,800,000 acres.
bullet Harvested Cropland: 17,135,000 acres.
bullet The student-to-computer ratio in SD is 1.7:1, the best in the nation.
bullet The average cost to community hospitals per patient in South Dakota is $747, the second best in the nation
bullet The number of community hospitals per 100,000 people is 6.5, best in the nation.
bullet Only 1 state has a lower crime rate than South Dakota
bullet Check out the Cities/Counties Profiles
bullet List of available buildings for businesses
bullet South Dakota Housing Development Authority
bullet 1,343 Governor's Houses and 62 Governor's Daycare Facilities have been sold as of June 30, 2005
bullet Over 61,000 low interest loans made for affordable housing to new homebuyers.
bullet Office of Tribal Government Relations
bullet Currently there are 9 Tribal Governments in the state
bullet Approximately 60,000 American Indians live in South Dakota.
bullet Bureau of Administration
bullet Online Capitol Tour
bullet Bureau of Finance and Management
bullet The State of South Dakota has had a balanced budget for 116 years
bullet Bureau of Information and Telecommunications
bullet South Dakota is Wiring the K12 Public Schools throughout the state.
bullet PC Workstations in the state: 7600
bullet PC File Servers in the state: 400
bullet Total State E-mail Accounts: 185 post offices with over 8000 mailboxes (Counting MS-Mail and SYSM)
bullet Local Area Networks: about 150
bullet Wide Area Network Sites: 90 Frame Relay connections and 52 dedicated (DDS) connections
bullet Number of Video Conference Sites: Over 300 two-way interactive video sites throughout the state.
bullet Bureau of Personnel

Elected Offices
bullet Office of the Attorney General
bullet The office of Consumer Protection recovered over $1.4 million for South Dakota Consumers last year
bullet Public Utilities Commission
bullet Warehouse Division supervises the operation of 240 state-licensed grain storage elevators and almost 300 elevators that hold state grain-buying licenses
bullet There are over 13,000 trucking companies operating on South Dakota highways
bullet Office of School and Public Lands
bullet Issues and maintains grazing and agricultural leases for 807,000 acres of trust lands
bullet Oversees inspection and repair of 103 state-owned dams
bullet Manages 5.2 million mineral acres
bullet Secretary of State
bullet Constitution of the State of South Dakota
bullet Election Information
bullet State Auditor
bullet Auditor's Office Performance Indicators
bullet State Treasurer
bullet Accounts for over 84 million dollars daily

Legislative Branch
bullet Currently there are 35 members of the Senate and 70 members of the House of Representatives
bullet The state is comprised of 35 legislative districts
bullet Voters elect 1 senator and 2 representatives from each district
bullet Legislature meets once a year on the second Tuesday in January, and also if the Governor calls a special session
bullet Legislative Research Council
bullet Guide to the Legislature
bullet Senate Roster
bullet House Roster
bullet Legislative Audit

Judicial Branch
bullet Unified Judicial System
bullet The state Supreme Court is the highest court in South Dakota and the court of last resort for state appellate actions. The chief justice and four justices comprise the South Dakota Supreme Court.
bullet South Dakota is divided into seven judicial circuits. There are 38 circuit judges serving in the seven circuits. Circuit courts are the state's trial courts of general jurisdiction.
bullet There are 12 full-time and 3 part-time magistrate judges in the seven circuits. Magistrate courts assist the circuit courts in disposing of misdemeanor criminal cases and minor civil actions. These courts of limited jurisdiction make the judicial system more accessible to the public by providing a means of direct court contact for the average citizen.

Budgets
bullet See the  BFM Budget for FY2006

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