Cory finds some interesting stats from the IRS;
How can Rapid City and Sioux Falls be gaining taxpayers but seeing a net loss in income from migration? I’ll speculate much of the difference comes from age. Young people head for the big cities, where they can find more jobs. Young people earn less money. Older workers accumulate promotions, raises, investment income, and new business ventures. They can afford to buy bigger houses out in South Dakota’s suburbs. They take their higher incomes up the road from Rapid or down the river from Sioux Falls.
| County | Total Net Migration AGI | Total In-Migration AGI | Total Outmigration AGI | Net Change in # Returns |
| Lincoln | $96,177,000 | $210,545,000 | $114,368,000 | 884 |
| Meade | $34,593,000 | $100,979,000 | $66,386,000 | 367 |
| Lawrence | $5,471,000 | $67,995,000 | $62,524,000 | 62 |
| Brown | $5,285,000 | $41,843,000 | $36,558,000 | 227 |
| Pennington | -$5,022,000 | $158,617,000 | $163,639,000 | 126 |
| Minnehaha | -$39,516,000 | $263,095,000 | $302,611,000 | 228 |
Sioux Falls not good for new business. TIF’s go to the favored. Small business must court city politicians. Ordinances designed to not compete with insiders. Empty commercial along 41st & Minnesota is proof. A few developers have control. The next mayor will be nothing but growth if he/she cures this evil and restores democracy.
I’m ok, you’re ok. Trump I’m worried about.
I suspect the original poster you quoted got it right. I’d hazard a lot of that Lincoln County growth is nothing more than affluent Minnehaha County residents moving outward. Conversely, those that move into town for the first time are likely residents of Minnehaha County, where housing prices are lower and rental housing is more abundant.
The biggest new apartments development is outside city limits east from 10th & Powderhouse. Lately, I’m embarrassed to admit I live in Sioux Falls. I used to advise others not to live here. Lately, they know better and feel sorry for me. I don’t expect this to change. My address here I’ve changed to minimal. I’m now exempt from code enforcer harrassment. I’ll have a winter address. Not sure yet whether it will be my address with here as secondary. If it’s not Home Rule Charter, probably there. It took 10 years for me to realize there’s no democracy here and that will not change. More important now to prevent this disease from spreading.