Updated July 2026 · Official registry data

South Dakota Sex Offender Registry Statistics

4,525

registered sex offenders live in South Dakota — that's 1 in every 196 residents, or 51 per 10,000, 113% above the national average.

Sioux Falls: 1,275 registered offenders (66.2 per 10,000 residents)Sioux Falls Rapid City: 499 registered offenders (66.8 per 10,000 residents)Rapid City Aberdeen: 125 registered offenders (43.9 per 10,000 residents)Aberdeen Yankton: 115 registered offenders (74.5 per 10,000 residents)Yankton Watertown: 88 registered offenders (38.8 per 10,000 residents)Watertown Mitchell: 84 registered offenders (53.6 per 10,000 residents)Mitchell Brookings: 71 registered offenders (30.4 per 10,000 residents)
Red dots show where South Dakota's 4,525 registered offenders live; blue bubbles are the 7 largest cities — click one to open that city's breakdown.
86
Classified Tier 3, Quarterly Reviews — the highest-risk designation in South Dakota registry records
124
Listed as absconders — whereabouts currently unverified by the registry
304
South Dakota cities & towns with at least one registered offender
74.5
Per 10,000 residents in Yankton — highest rate of the major cities (1.5× the state average)
+113%
South Dakota's rate vs. the national average of ~24 per 10,000
City breakdown

Sex offenders by city in South Dakota

Registered sex offender counts for the 7 largest cities in South Dakota, with each city's rate per 10,000 residents. Raw counts track population — the per-capita column is the fair comparison, and the spread is dramatic: Yankton's rate is 2× Brookings's. Click a city for its full breakdown, or a column header to sort.

Key facts
  • Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen account for 84% of the registered offenders across the 7 cities tracked.
  • Adjusted for population, living in Yankton means 2× more registered offenders per resident than Brookings.
  • Registered sex offenders live in 304 different South Dakota cities and towns — no community is exempt.
#CityRegistered offendersPopulationPer 10,000 residents
1 Sioux Falls
1,275
192,721 66.2
2 Rapid City
499
74,730 66.8
3 Aberdeen
125
28,495 43.9
4 Yankton
115
15,441 74.5
5 Watertown
88
22,660 38.8
6 Mitchell
84
15,671 53.6
7 Brookings
71
23,382 30.4

Counts as of July 2026, compiled from official registry records. City populations from the 2020 U.S. Census. red = 1.5× the state rate or more · green = well below the state rate.

City-by-city breakdowns

Every South Dakota city we track has its own page with neighborhood-level numbers, risk levels, and recent registrations:

Every South Dakota municipality with registered offenders (top 60 shown)
Sioux Falls 1,275Rapid City 499Springfield 164Aberdeen 125Yankton 115Watertown 88Eagle Butte 88Mitchell 84Huron 80Pierre 71Brookings 71Box Elder 66Spearfish 48Mission 47Pine Ridge 45Belle Fourche 40Rosebud 37Saint Francis 37Madison 37Sturgis 34Sisseton 33Kyle 33Lower Brule 31Hot Springs 30Fort Thompson 28Mclaughlin 26Vermillion 26Lake Andes 25Winner 24No. Sioux City 23Little Eagle 22Canton 21Custer 21Porcupine 19Wounded Knee 19Oglala 18Black Hawk 18Flandreau 16Roslyn 16Deadwood 16North Sioux City 16Wagner 16Brandon 16Lead 15Allen 15White River 15Redfield 15Tyndall 14Piedmont 14Dell Rapids 14Mobridge 14Milbank 13Lennox 13Whitewood 13Irene 12Tea 12Webster 11Cherry Creek 11Elk Point 11Dupree 11
The rules in South Dakota

South Dakota sex offender laws & risk levels

Tiered registration, most records public. South Dakota registers offenders in tiers based on the offense, with lifetime registration common (petition for removal is available for the lowest tier after 10 years). Registrants appear on the Attorney General's public site.

Community safety zones. South Dakota bars registrants from residing within 500 feet of "community safety zones" — schools, parks, pools, and playgrounds — with related loitering restrictions inside those zones.

Registration & verification. Registrants must keep their address, employment, and schooling current with the registry, and verify in person on a recurring schedule — more frequently for higher-risk or higher-tier registrants. Failure to register or verify is itself a crime and commonly appears as a listed offense on registry records.

Current risk-level breakdown in South Dakota:

Tier 2
69
Tier 3
60
Other
15
Tier 3, Quarterly Reviews
14
Sexual
10
Common questions

South Dakota sex offender registry FAQ

How many registered sex offenders live in South Dakota?

As of July 2026, there are 4,525 registered sex offenders in South Dakota — about 51 for every 10,000 residents, 113% above the national average. Counts change as offenders register, move, or are removed from the registry.

Which city in South Dakota has the most sex offenders?

Sioux Falls has the most registered sex offenders in South Dakota with 1,275. Raw counts track population, so the fairer comparison is per capita: adjusted for population, Yankton has the highest rate among major cities at 74.5 per 10,000 residents, while Brookings has the lowest at 30.4.

How do I find sex offenders near my address in South Dakota?

Use the free Predator Map app to search any South Dakota address and see registered offenders around it on a map, with photos and offense details from official registry records. You can also search the official South Dakota Sex Offender Registry (Attorney General) website directly.

Why is this number different from the official South Dakota registry website?

Public registry websites only show what the state chooses to publish. South Dakota publishes registrants on the public site; some juvenile and petitioned-off records don't appear. Statistics on this page are compiled from aggregated official registry records, so they can differ from — and often exceed — what a manual search of the public site returns.

Does South Dakota restrict where sex offenders can live?

Community safety zones. South Dakota bars registrants from residing within 500 feet of "community safety zones" — schools, parks, pools, and playgrounds — with related loitering restrictions inside those zones. Address-level monitoring matters more than assumptions about "safe" neighborhoods.

How current is this data?

Statistics on this page are compiled from official state registry records and refreshed monthly. This page was last updated in July 2026. Always verify individual records with the official state registry.

Can I get alerts when a sex offender moves near me in South Dakota?

Yes. Predator Map Pro monitors up to 5 addresses daily and sends push and email alerts when a registered offender moves in nearby, a new offender registers, or someone moves away.

Is it legal to look up sex offenders near me?

Yes. Registry information is public record under federal and state law (Megan's Law), and anyone may search it to protect themselves and their family. What the law prohibits is using registry information to harass, threaten, or commit a crime against a registrant — misuse can be prosecuted.

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Methodology: Statistics are compiled from aggregated official state registry records and refreshed monthly. City figures count the city listed on each registry record. Per-capita rates use 2020 U.S. Census populations. Aggregated counts can exceed what public registry websites display because some classification levels are excluded from public searches. Figures are estimates and change daily as registries update — always verify individual records with the official state registry.