Hardly nowhere, Sioux Falls is the largest city in
South Dakota. With a population of around 110,000, the city is also the
commercial and
medical nexus of the state, not to mention the home of
this author.
Home to two
universities,
Augustana College and
University oF Sioux Falls and a ton of
sports teams: the
Sioux Falls Stampede, a
minor league hockey team, the
Sioux Falls SkyForce, a
CBA basketball team, the
Sioux Falls Canaries, a
minor league baseball team and the
Sioux Falls Cobras, an
IFL team.
The name Sioux Falls comes from the series of
waterfalls which reside in the city. The
Big Sioux River flows through Sioux Falls. Near the middle of the city is
Falls Park, home of the falls.
The
coldest temperature ever recorded in Sioux Falls was -36F. The
hottest temperature: 110F. Normal precip for the Sioux Falls area is 23.51"/yearly.
Sioux Falls features a relatively
low cost of living. Compared to the rest of SD however, it is more
expensive to live here.
The median residential home cost in 4th quarter 1998 was $110,300. The monthly
apartment rent averages between $400-$650 for a
2 bedroom down to $275-$400 for an
efficiency. The composite
cost of living index is 94.8.
In 1998, 650 single family homes were constructed. New home prices ranged from $81,000 to $800,000+.
The
unemployment rate for Sioux Falls, according to 1998
South Dakota Department of Labor statistics was 1.2%.
Major employers:
Sioux Valley Hospital 3,554
Citibank 3,200
John Morrell & Company 3,000
McKennan Hospital 2,750
Sioux Falls School District 1,928
Hutchinson Technology 1,850
Gateway 2000 1,800
Midwest Coast Transport 1,430
Hy-Vee Food Stores 1,125
SPS Payment Systems 1,100
Norwest Bank 1,020
City of Sioux Falls 882
The Evangelical Good Samaritan Society 884
Central Plains Clinic 851
Sunshine Food Stores 850
Specialized Card Services 800
Sioux Vocational Services 730
Royal C. Johnson Memorial Veterans Hospital 700
Raven Industries 700
First Premier Bank 615
U.S. West 589
Dakota King 560
U.S. Postal Service 550
Lewis Drug, Inc. 500
Bankfirst 500
Communication Services for the Deaf 500
LodgeNet Entertainment 494
Dayton's /
Target 475
StarMark 453
More information can be found at http://www.siouxfalls.org.