Pierre Tops State Rankings in 2024 AARP Livability Index

Pierre and Sioux Falls again made the list of the top 25 small and large cities on the newly released 2024 AARP Livability Index™.

Launched in 2015, the AARP Livability Index platform scores livability by using more than 50 national data sources across seven categories: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement, and opportunity. The tool measures every city, county, and town against 61 indicators of livability, ranging from monthly housing costs to environmental pollution, opportunities for social connections to the presence of age-friendly community plans. It aims to inform and encourage residents, local advocates, researchers, and policymakers to take action to make their communities great places to live for people of all ages.

Users can search the website by address, ZIP code, or community to find an overall or category score, identify challenges in their community and compare their neighborhood to others across performance benchmarks.

“A livable community is a place for people of all ages. It’s a place that has the housing and transportation options and community features that people need so they can safely thrive there regardless of age, income or physical abilities,” says Erik Gaikowski, AARP South Dakota State Director.

Pierre has a Livability Index score of 67 (down from 69 in2023), while the score for Sioux Falls is 63 (same score as 2023). Across the nationwide rankings, the top score in the U.S. is 73, the average score is 48 and the lowest score is 23.

Here are some other rankings for South Dakota cities. 2023 numbers are in parentheses.

• Spearfish 63 (57)
• Tea 62 (60)
• Yankton 62 (60)
• Madison 62 (61)
• Dell Rapids 62 (61)
• Brookings 61 (59)
• Mitchell 61 (63)
• Webster 61 (60)
• Watertown 60 (61)
• Brandon 60 (58)
• Harrisburg 60 (58)
• Sturgis 59 (56)
• Milbank 58 (60)
• Lemmon 56 (61)
• Custer 56 (60)
• Aberdeen 54 (58)
• Rapid City 53 (54)

“The AARP Livability Index shows that all communities have room to improve to ensure that residents of all ages are active, engaged, and supported, particularly when it comes to affordable housing options," says Gaikowski. "The tool provides valuable information for individuals looking to help their aging loved ones find a neighborhood that supports their specific needs. It is equally good for policymakers looking to make their neighborhoods and communities more livable."

To view the AARP Livability Index and see community scores, visit www.aarp.org/livabilityindex.