South Dakota a financial education black hole

Source: WalletHub

In 2024 South Dakota dropped to 49th in financial literacy and 50th in financial knowledge and education despite the Republican former governor's pathological Pollyannaism. The state was the 43rd best economy in the US, 51st in percentage of businesses owned by women and 50th in innovation potential.

Today, the horrible red state has dropped to 50th in financial literacy and 51st in financial knowledge and education rank, 41st in innovation, 45th in human capital rank, 47th in innovation environment and 50th in share of technology companies. 

Creighton University's Ernie Goss has been warning that the Trump Organization is bad for American agriculture and follows the economies of several breadbasket states including South Dakota's. Banksters are freaking out because the March Rural Mainstreet Index dropped to its lowest level since October 2025 and loan delinquency rates increased. Goss says it’s the 13th time since January of last year that the rural economy reading fell below the growth neutral threshold.

The March RMI for South Dakota sank to 40.3 from February’s 47.2. According to trade data from the [International Trade Association], South Dakota exports of agriculture goods and livestock for the first month of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, fell by 82.2%. Compared to the first month of 2024, the South Dakota exports of agriculture and livestock for the first month of 2026 sank by 39.9%. [Mainstreet Economy]