Sunday, Sep. 7, 2025

Is SD projected to have one of the worst nursing shortages by 2030?

Michael Klinski, South Dakota News Watch

yes

South Dakota is one of seven states that is expected to have a shortage of nurses by 2030.

According to a report released by RegisteredNursing.org using Bureau of Health Workforce data, South Dakota will be 1,900 nurses short of demand by the end of the decade, 14% less than what is needed. That’s projected to be the third worst in the nation, behind Alaska (22.7%) and South Carolina (-16.6%).

The nursing shortage in South Dakota is exacerbated by the state’s rural areas because of the distance to health care facilities as well as economic challenges, among other factors.

WalletHub ranked South Dakota 45th in the nation in a list of “best and worst states for nurses.”

The website ranked states for salaries, quality and number of nursing schools, nurses per 1,000 residents and other categories related to workplace satisfaction.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

RegisteredNursing.org The states with the largest nursing shortages
South Dakota State University Addressing the rural nursing crisis
WalletHub Best and worst states for nurses

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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.

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Is SD projected to have one of the worst nursing shortages by 2030?

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