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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 1 cities in South Dakota. Sioux Falls: index 95, income $74,714, transport index 90.
#1 Ranked: Sioux Falls — cost index 95, rent $1,265/mo, income $74,714
Young-professional scoring: income $74,714, population 206,410 (job market depth), transport index 90
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 1 cities in South Dakota. Sioux Falls: index 95, income $74,714, transport index 90.
What does daily life actually cost in Sioux Falls? Start with the 20% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 88) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $74,714 — worth pausing on — and homes at $326,187 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
Bottom line: Sioux Falls leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | 95 | $1,265 | Details |
206,410 residents · South Dakota
Sioux Falls earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 95 cost index sits 17 points below the national baseline, and the $74,714 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $326,187 — $141,183 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. You get the picture. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 88, while Healthcare trails at 98 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Sioux Falls ranks #1 in South Dakota for this analysis with a cost index of 95 and median income of $74,714.
Sioux Falls scores highest for young professionals due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,265/mo, and competitive median income of $74,714.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Sioux Falls is $1,265/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $630 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Sioux Falls is $326,187, which is 4.4× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
South Dakota has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.1%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.08%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.