Hi Patty, it's nice that you're interested in So. Dak. First of all, we do have four very distinct seasons. We have a low cost of living and the cost of housing will depend on where you live. If you chose a small town, you can find very nice homes for under 50,000, but you'll also have to drive for any medical care, pharmacies, major shopping, etc. The largest and most expensive city in the state is Sioux Falls in the southeastern corner of the state. I believe the current population is nearing 140,000. It has no metro area, but there are several towns within a few miles of the city. An average house in Sioux Falls would probably be 150,000 and up. It probably has more culture and things to do then any other town in the state.
So. Dak. is divided by the Missouri River and East River and West River are like being in totally different states.
The number two city in the state is Rapid City in western So. Dak. It's in the Black Hills which is a very beautiful area. Between the two largest cities, there are many towns, some with a population under 1000 and others with a population of 10,00-20,000. (About) Between the two largest cities you'll also find Wall Drug, DeSmet, (It was the Little Town on the Prairie of Laura Ingalls Wilder fame), etc. I know the cost of living in the Hills is a bit expensive, but it's absolutely fantastic out there. We call it the "banana belt" because unlike East River, they can have some very mild and beautiful winter days. I believe the temp in Hot Springs, So. Dak. will be 78 tomorrow and we will be so thankful to be reaching the 60 mark.
There are also several smaller towns around Rapid City and I believe the population of Rapid is something like 60,000. From Rapid you are only a few hours away from the Badlands, which is a state park worth seeing. It's like a foreign land there. You're close to Keystone which is the cutest little town at the base of Mt. Rushmore, which is a definite "must see". You're then near the area where the Crazy Horse monument is being blasted out on the side of a mountain.
The Hills area also have Spearfish and Spearfish Canyon which is so quiet and beautiful and serene. It is filled with Black Hills Spruce, a stream, and several waterfalls that come down the mountains. The Hills area is also home to Deadwood which is an old western town that was revived by the casinos. It's the town the HBO series "Deadwood" is taken after. They actually interviewed historians from there and tried to make the show as authentic as possible depicting life out there years ago. Deadwood has celebrations all summer long whether it's car shows or concerts, etc. If you live there, you'll definitely want to go to Deadwood's Kool Summer Nights which are the very end of August. Their concerts are wonderful. Their last concert had so many good entertainers including Bobby Vee and my fave, The Grass Roots. It's an outdoor concert and you bring your lawn chairs and sit in the middle of Deadwood's main street. They have speakers and huge tv screens positioned about every block. Their Sat. night concert brought in more then 10,000 people. And the concert and the draft beer is FREE to all.
Hot Springs is also in the Hills area and you can swim in fresh spring water and it's believed to be "healing waters". I'd better stop before I go over the limit of words, but you can tell that the western part of the state is definitely my number one choice, although I've lived over here my entire life.
So. Dak. doesn't have a lot of diversity. The majority of the population is Caucasion. We also have the Sioux Nation in our state. English is the ONLY language you need to know if you move here. If you have any specific questions, please post and I hope others will add things I've forgotten.
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