Why South Dakota's SNAP Program Leads The Nation In Efficiency

A South Dakota government agency has been recognized as being the best of the best in America.

The State’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s most efficient and effectively run program, according to payment error rates released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

SNAP allows low-income South Dakotans purchase food they need to stay healthy while they work to regain financial independence. The SNAP payment error rates measure how accurately states determine household eligibility and benefit amounts. South Dakota’s error rate was 2.47% for fiscal year 2025 (FY25), the lowest of all states. The national rate was 10.62%.

South Dakota has finished first in SNAP error rate in every year numbers were kept since FY15, except FY19, when the state finished second. A state’s payment error rate is the combination of the overpayment error rate and the underpayment error rate. Errors can result from clerical mistakes or from a participant providing inaccurate or incomplete information.

H.R.1 added new standards for states’ payment error rates, implementing financial consequences for states above the 6% threshold. States with error rates at or above the threshold will be responsible for covering more of their state’s benefits. South Dakota’s sub-6% error rate means that an estimated $26 million in state general funds were saved during the upcoming fiscal year.

South Dakota’s SNAP also has the lowest Case and Procedural Error Rate in the nation and is the only state to be in the single digits. The national rate was 38.34% while South Dakota’s is at 6.19%. CAPER looks at the accuracy or the decision (deny, terminate, suspend); the accuracy of the notices sent to the household; and the timeliness of the action and notice.

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20 Things You'll Find In Every South Dakota Home

We have so many things in our homes. Some things are junk or half-used but others have great sentimental value to us.

Regardless of what an item means to us at the end of the day, I bet that most South Dakotans have these twenty items in their home; or at least most of us do.

4 South Dakota Stories Featured on 'Unsolved Mysteries'

I am a longtime fan of the television show Unsolved Mysteries. The classic version from the 80s/90s. I remember a few times the late Robert Stack introduced a mystery in South Dakota.

Looking through their archives, we found four South Dakota mysteries that were featured on Unsolved Mysteries. Do you remember these cases that still have a lot of unanswered questions?

Gallery Credit: Danny V

5 Things South Dakota Gave the World

South Dakota may not get much respect. We get a blizzard and it's a footnote on the national scene, but if Florida gets a bit chilly it's breaking news. But, maybe it's fine to be forgotten about. We kind of like being left alone on our quiet piece of the plains.

South Dakota has given a lot to the world though. Not just giant mountain carvings and settings for HBO shows, but awesome things that the rest of the world should thank us for.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

7 Famous Athletes from South Dakota

South Dakota may have a small population, but our state's contributions to sports have been pretty big.

People born in the 605 have gone on to be in the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, WWE, WNBA, and in the Olympics.

Meet seven of the most famous:

South Dakota's Snakes: A Local Guide to Identifying and Understanding Our Slithering Neighbors!

South Dakota may not have creepy crawlies like they do in Australia. But, there are a fair amount of snakes to be found here.

We can find some in the Black Hills, some enjoy life on the west-river plains, and several are concentrated in the southeastern part of the state along the Missouri River.

There are seven common species of snake that can be found throughout the state, including our one venomous species.