A claim that the average South Dakotan spends roughly $28 every time they eat at a restaurant is getting a second look from South Dakota News Watch, which published a fact-check on the figure June 1.
The outlet framed the number as a question rather than a finding — it hasn’t confirmed where the $28 estimate originated or which meals, restaurants, or price tiers were used to calculate it. That gap matters. A fast-food lunch and a sit-down dinner don’t belong in the same average without some explanation of the math.
The question behind the number
Cost-of-living figures for dining out vary widely depending on methodology. Some surveys count only entrée prices; others fold in drinks, tax, and tip. A statewide average can also mask big differences between, say, a diner in Mobridge and a restaurant in downtown Sioux Falls.
South Dakota News Watch didn’t publish a verdict on the claim as of the June 1 post — meaning readers don’t yet know whether $28 holds up, runs high, or undersells what people are actually paying.
The full findings from the outlet’s fact-check had not been released as of that date.
Reported by South Dakota News Watch. Read the original report.
