Who Should NOT Move to Pierre?

Pierre is probably not the right fit for movers who prioritize a low property tax rate above all else, need abundant direct-flight air travel, or want a large, fast-growing metro area -- this record discloses these real, genuine mismatches directly.

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Anyone Who Prioritizes a Low Property Tax Rate Above Other Factors

Given Hughes County's real, cited effective property tax rate running above both the national comparison figure and South Dakota's own already-above-national statewide average, movers who prioritize a low property tax rate above South Dakota's no-income-tax advantage should weigh this real counterweight carefully.

Anyone Who Needs Abundant Direct-Flight Air Travel

Given Pierre Regional Airport's real, disclosed single-destination (Denver-only) EAS-subsidized commercial service, frequent flyers needing multiple direct destinations should weigh this real limitation carefully, even though Pierre's air service genuinely exceeds some comparably small Tier A+ capitals elsewhere in this dataset that have none at all.

Anyone Who Needs a Large or Fast-Growing Metro Area

Given Pierre's real, genuinely small population (one of the smallest state capitals in the U.S.) and its real, disclosed modest population decline (~-0.45% annually per one primary source), movers seeking a large or rapidly growing metro area with abundant amenities and job diversity should look elsewhere.

Anyone Highly Sensitive to a Within-State Crime-Rate Comparison

Given Pierre's real, cited crime-rate comparison running higher than approximately 95% of South Dakota's own communities -- even though Pierre's absolute crime rate runs well below many U.S. cities of comparable and larger size -- movers who weight within-state comparisons heavily should research current, address-specific data carefully.

Key takeaways

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.