South Dakota is also sometimes included in broader concerns about the central United States and its connection to strategic defense planning.
Not every part of the state would carry the same level of danger, but its regional position places it near areas often discussed in nuclear-war risk analysis.
This is why experts warn against thinking in simple state-level terms. A state is not automatically safe or unsafe. The real concern is proximity to missile fields, command structures, military targets, power systems, and transportation routes.
In a severe conflict, even places far from big cities could become vulnerable because of what surrounds them.