South Dakota ranks #49 among US states for total patents filed all time, with 7,950 patents from 2,308 inventors across 231 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 9.0 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in South Dakota All Time
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Sioux Falls, SD | 2,309 | 532 |
| #2 | Rapid City, SD | 941 | 295 |
| #3 | Brookings, SD | 699 | 175 |
| #4 | Yankton, SD | 287 | 93 |
| #5 | Dakota Dunes, SD | 258 | 48 |
| #6 | Mitchell, SD | 244 | 65 |
| #7 | Watertown, SD | 194 | 83 |
| #8 | Brandon, SD | 141 | 38 |
| #9 | Spearfish, SD | 137 | 41 |
| #10 | Volga, SD | 127 | 16 |
| #11 | Harrisburg, SD | 123 | 27 |
| #12 | Aberdeen, SD | 115 | 37 |
| #13 | Box Elder, SD | 111 | 18 |
| #14 | Vermillion, SD | 107 | 33 |
| #15 | Beresford, SD | 107 | 17 |
| #16 | Huron, SD | 90 | 46 |
| #17 | Pierre, SD | 71 | 28 |
| #18 | Hartford, SD | 65 | 20 |
| #19 | Madison, SD | 60 | 18 |
| #20 | Garretson, SD | 60 | 7 |
| #21 | Canton, SD | 52 | 19 |
| #22 | Elk Point, SD | 48 | 18 |
| #23 | Centerville, SD | 48 | 5 |
| #24 | Salem, SD | 46 | 6 |
| #25 | Valley Springs, SD | 44 | 7 |