Market rankings · South Dakota
Restaurants and cafes in South Dakota
Every metro area, small-town market and county in South Dakota, ranked by the Groundwork market score for restaurants and cafes, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,903
- 1,472 chain locations (38%)
- Official establishments
- 1,577
- +6.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.4B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 106.8
- 3% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $361K
- 3% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #22 of 51
- Market score 56 · Upper middle
A site report maps the restaurants and cafes on map listings around any address in South Dakota by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
South Dakota has 3,903 restaurants and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 1,472 of them (38%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. That is 106.8 per 10,000 households, 3% below the U.S. rate of 109.8.
Households in South Dakota spend about $1.4B a year on food away from home, or $3,849 per household, 5% below the U.S. average. That is about $361K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 3% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in South Dakota was 1,577 in 2023, up 6.4% from 2019. That is one for every 232 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 6.0% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 103 SBA-backed loans worth $54.5M have gone to businesses classed as restaurants and other eating places in South Dakota.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Dakota ranks #22 for restaurants and cafes, with a Groundwork market score of 56 (upper middle). Of the 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux Falls metro area scores highest (81). Of the 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Aberdeen area scores highest (66).
Every market in South Dakota for restaurants and cafes
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South Dakota, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 81 | 1,153 | 94.1 | $434K | +9.5% | #12 of 387 |
| 2Rapid City, SD | 40 | 726 | 115.6 | $334K | +6.2% | #261 of 387 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 38 | 634 | 114.3 | $334K | +1.0% | #279 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Aberdeen, SD | 66 | 156 | 87.1 | $432K | −1.5% | #110 of 538 |
| 2Huron, SD | 64 | 73 | 96.9 | $369K | +2.4% | #134 of 538 |
| 3Pierre, SD | 58 | 93 | 108.9 | $364K | −0.5% | #186 of 538 |
| 4Brookings, SD | 56 | 160 | 116.0 | $324K | +9.6% | #206 of 538 |
| 5Watertown, SD | 51 | 134 | 107.0 | $340K | +4.3% | #256 of 538 |
| 6Yankton, SD | 43 | 116 | 119.6 | $313K | +1.5% | #350 of 538 |
| 7Mitchell, SD | 41 | 119 | 108.4 | $334K | +0.6% | #362 of 538 |
| 8Spearfish, SD | 38 | 200 | 165.9 | $223K | +14.0% | #393 of 538 |
| 9Vermillion, SD | 30 | 76 | 137.0 | $253K | +0.2% | #462 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lincoln County, SD | 94 | 182 | 65.3 | $694K | +17.5% | #6 of 2,405 |
| 2Union County, SD | 81 | 67 | 91.7 | $471K | +3.3% | #128 of 2,405 |
| 3Meade County, SD | 75 | 99 | 82.7 | $469K | +2.7% | #249 of 2,405 |
| 4Minnehaha County, SD | 55 | 892 | 105.2 | $377K | +7.6% | #982 of 2,405 |
| 5Brown County, SD | 53 | 143 | 87.8 | $425K | −1.7% | #1,045 of 2,405 |
| 6Oglala Lakota County, SD | 51 | 19 | 65.0 | $431K | −2.3% | #1,127 of 2,405 |
| 7Beadle County, SD | 51 | 73 | 96.9 | $369K | +2.4% | #1,156 of 2,405 |
| 8Hughes County, SD | 49 | 77 | 106.2 | $374K | −0.9% | #1,237 of 2,405 |
| 9Brookings County, SD | 49 | 160 | 116.0 | $324K | +9.6% | #1,252 of 2,405 |
| 10Lake County, SD | 47 | 49 | 103.9 | $374K | −0.2% | #1,314 of 2,405 |
| 11Butte County, SD | 44 | 51 | 118.4 | $324K | +5.5% | #1,470 of 2,405 |
| 12Roberts County, SD | 42 | 37 | 102.1 | $349K | −0.1% | #1,540 of 2,405 |
| 13Codington County, SD | 42 | 134 | 107.0 | $340K | +4.3% | #1,544 of 2,405 |
| 14Pennington County, SD | 40 | 573 | 123.6 | $311K | +6.6% | #1,630 of 2,405 |
| 15Yankton County, SD | 35 | 116 | 119.6 | $313K | +1.5% | #1,838 of 2,405 |
| 16Lawrence County, SD | 35 | 200 | 165.9 | $223K | +14.0% | #1,853 of 2,405 |
| 17Davison County, SD | 28 | 98 | 110.1 | $322K | +0.6% | #2,093 of 2,405 |
| 18Clay County, SD | 26 | 76 | 137.0 | $253K | +0.2% | #2,171 of 2,405 |
| Charles Mix County, SD | Not scored | 36 | 118.7 | $301K | −0.5% | |
| Todd County, SD | Not scored | 11 | 43.2 | $659K | −4.9% | |
| Custer County, SD | Not scored | 54 | 121.3 | $329K | +13.2% | |
| Turner County, SD | Not scored | 38 | 106.5 | $350K | +7.3% | |
| Grant County, SD | Not scored | 40 | 132.1 | $279K | 0.0% | |
| Hutchinson County, SD | Not scored | 28 | 96.3 | $406K | −0.1% | |
| Fall River County, SD | Not scored | 57 | 156.9 | $220K | +7.1% |
Show all 66 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Homme County, SD | Not scored | 17 | 70.3 | $491K | +3.8% | |
| Moody County, SD | Not scored | 26 | 101.6 | $379K | +4.5% | |
| Hamlin County, SD | Not scored | 19 | 86.6 | $464K | +11.9% | |
| Spink County, SD | Not scored | 26 | 104.6 | $356K | −3.0% | |
| McCook County, SD | Not scored | 10 | 45.0 | $909K | +5.2% | |
| Tripp County, SD | Not scored | 26 | 115.1 | $294K | +1.8% | |
| Day County, SD | Not scored | 22 | 92.8 | $403K | +0.8% | |
| Brule County, SD | Not scored | 38 | 194.4 | $196K | +0.5% | |
| Walworth County, SD | Not scored | 37 | 153.2 | $225K | −1.4% | |
| Kingsbury County, SD | Not scored | 33 | 156.3 | $239K | +1.6% | |
| Dewey County, SD | Not scored | 20 | 118.2 | $274K | +3.8% | |
| Marshall County, SD | Not scored | 19 | 115.1 | $341K | +2.9% | |
| Deuel County, SD | Not scored | 16 | 91.2 | $413K | +2.6% | |
| Edmunds County, SD | Not scored | 13 | 79.8 | $505K | +1.0% | |
| Gregory County, SD | Not scored | 22 | 136.7 | $258K | +1.1% | |
| Clark County, SD | Not scored | 14 | 104.8 | $346K | +4.7% | |
| Corson County, SD | Not scored | 9 | 79.8 | $405K | −2.8% | |
| Lyman County, SD | Not scored | 7 | 58.9 | $631K | −0.1% | |
| Hanson County, SD | Not scored | 10 | 88.3 | $457K | −0.3% | |
| Bennett County, SD | Not scored | 8 | 87.0 | $343K | −2.6% | |
| Hand County, SD | Not scored | 18 | 128.1 | $295K | −0.7% | |
| Stanley County, SD | Not scored | 16 | 124.0 | $314K | +1.8% | |
| Perkins County, SD | Not scored | 16 | 122.2 | $303K | +0.9% | |
| Douglas County, SD | Not scored | 8 | 70.3 | $582K | +1.9% | |
| Jackson County, SD | Not scored | 12 | 144.6 | $196K | −4.7% | |
| Aurora County, SD | Not scored | 12 | 112.8 | $316K | +2.6% | |
| Potter County, SD | Not scored | 13 | 122.0 | $301K | −3.8% | |
| Sanborn County, SD | Not scored | 11 | 116.3 | $326K | +2.5% | |
| Ziebach County, SD | Not scored | 5 | 68.0 | $513K | −0.1% | |
| Miner County, SD | Not scored | 11 | 118.0 | $319K | −0.8% | |
| McPherson County, SD | Not scored | 9 | 98.4 | $377K | −2.2% | |
| Faulk County, SD | Not scored | 5 | 58.0 | $613K | +2.4% | |
| Mellette County, SD | Not scored | 4 | 62.4 | $540K | +11.5% | |
| Buffalo County, SD | Not scored | 3 | 59.1 | $507K | −6.8% | |
| Jerauld County, SD | Not scored | 8 | 101.9 | $367K | +0.6% | |
| Haakon County, SD | Not scored | 10 | 145.6 | $261K | −3.6% | |
| Campbell County, SD | Not scored | 10 | 132.6 | $284K | −0.1% | |
| Sully County, SD | Not scored | 5 | 78.5 | $498K | +1.9% | |
| Hyde County, SD | Not scored | 5 | 99.4 | $389K | −4.6% | |
| Harding County, SD | Not scored | 9 | 180.7 | $221K | +2.2% | |
| Jones County, SD | Not scored | 11 | 321.6 | $112K | −1.5% |
Markets with fewer than 5 restaurants and cafes on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many restaurants and cafes are in South Dakota?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,903 restaurants and cafes in South Dakota. 1,472 of them (38%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 1,577 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, up 6.4% from 2019. Official counts list 196 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in South Dakota spend on food away from home?
About $1.4B a year, or $3,849 per household. That is 5% below the U.S. average (an index of 95, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,903 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $361K per restaurant. It is estimated from the incomes of the 365,544 households in South Dakota and national spending patterns by income.
How does South Dakota compare with the U.S. for restaurants and cafes?
South Dakota has 106.8 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 3% below the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $361K, 3% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the U.S. ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, South Dakota would have about 3,795, against 3,903 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 232 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count rose 6.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for the U.S.
Which market in South Dakota has the highest market score for restaurants and cafes?
Among 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux Falls metro area scores highest, at 81 (high). Among 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Aberdeen area scores highest, at 66 (upper middle). Among 18 scored counties in South Dakota, Lincoln County scores highest, at 94 (very high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. South Dakota scores 56 for restaurants and cafes (upper middle), #22 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in South Dakota. It maps the restaurants and cafes on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
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Top markets for restaurants and cafes across the U.S. · All business types in South Dakota
Related business types in South Dakota
- Sit-down restaurants1,910 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops492 listings
- Pizza400 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes461 listings
- Bakeries and dessert shops251 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in South Dakota?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.