South Dakota is growing despite slowed population growth across the U.S.
Mike Kareta criss-crossed the United States before landing in South Dakota.
He lived on both coasts and down south before taking a job with Sanford Research just over two years ago.
"Of all the places we looked at, it seemed like the best fit for us," he said.
Census data shows that he's not alone. As the United States' population growth falls to an 80-year low, South Dakota continues to grow, making it the fastest-growing state in the Midwest.
The release of the U.S. Census Bureau's population change estimates late last year showed that across the country, the population growth for the year ending in July 2018 was 0.62 percent, the lowest since 1937.
And while South Dakota's growth has slowed from last year's rate of 1.20 percent, the estimates show the state growing by 1.02 percent — the 13th fastest-growing state in the country.
In fact, all the states above 1 percent growth are in the South or the West — except, of course, South Dakota.
Ed Gerrish, assistant professor of public administration at the University of South Dakota, warned that that number could be a little deceptive.
"South Dakota was right on the line," Garrish said, "by about 170 people."
Still though, Gerrish said, the growth is real — and recent.
"The population of South Dakota in 1990 was basically what it was in 1930," he said.
Growth in the last few decades has a lot to do with Sioux Falls, where the population has nearly doubled over the last 30 years.
"Once you have the industry to support people and their families, that growth can really take off."
Perks of S.D. living outweigh snowy winters
Kareta is part of that growth. He came to Sioux Falls to take a job as an assistant scientist with Sanford Research's genetics and genomics group, working to determine the role stem cell genes have in the formation of pediatric and adult tumors.
Born in New Hampshire, Kareta grew up in Connecticut and went to college in Texas before spending 13 years in California — including most recently at Stanford, which, he joked, made the transition to Sanford confusing.
That move, from California to South Dakota, caused almost everyone in Kareta's life to question what he was thinking, he said.
And then, once he was here, he started telling them what he was thinking — about the lower cost of living, about having space for his family, about feeling like he and his wife could take their two children out to a restaurant without being judged.
"Once they start seeing that," he said, "some of that Midwest prejudice seems to kind of break down."
Case in point, he said at least one of his friends from California has told him his job is the only thing keeping he and his wife from making the same move.
Kareta acknowledged winter is a point of contention in his family. He grew up with snow, and kind of missed it during his time in California. His wife, from Texas, wouldn't mean leaving it behind entirely.
Still, Kareta said, "I'd just say forget what you know, come look with your eyes open, and if you look around you'll see a lot of the things you're used to seeing, they're here."
Big city amenities, just on a smaller scale
Convincing people to come look with their eyes open is all part of Brad Schoenfelder's job.
As the senior executive director of human resources for Sanford Health, Schoenfelder is quite familiar with what people are looking for when they come to South Dakota — and what their concerns here.
Situations like Kareta's are common, he said, as Sanford targets California specifically, hoping to attract the attention of college graduates and others who are having trouble finding a job in the area.
"We talk about all the things we have here," he said. "We have most of the things a big community has, just on a smaller scale."
Tammy Anderson, director of talent acquisition at Avera Health, said they also use "multiple approaches" as they try to attract new hires from other states, viewing current employees as the best way to recruit people they already know.
And if they're still a little hesitant to live their "big city" lifestyle?
"We're not far from Minneapolis, we're not far from Omaha," Schoenfelder said. "These people are coming from commutes of an hour and a half, two hours. When they think of a three and a half hour drive, that's not a big deal for them."
Of course, their commute to work in Sioux Falls is likely to come down significantly as well.
"That commute gives them time with their family," Schoenfelder said. "Commutes are a big deal to these people."
He laughs when the topic of weather comes up.
"First of all, we want to be as upfront and honest as we can with those individuals," he said, adding that people often know whether the weather will be a deal breaker before they get too far in the process.
"Still," he said, "we try not to interview in January or February if we can."