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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match South Dakota's value. And on balance, 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: Sioux Falls at index 74, where median rent of $1,265/month saves renters $7,560/year versus the…
Dollar for dollar, few states match South Dakota's value. And on balance, 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: Sioux Falls at index 74, where median rent of $1,265/month saves renters $7,560/year versus the national median.
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, Housing (index 74) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $74,714 and homes at $326,187 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
Look, on a $100K salary, the key number is $2,500/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. It lines up with what you'd expect. Sioux Falls ($1,265/mo, 15%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $75,297 to $75,297/year across these top picks.
Worth noting: The 1 cities we track in South Dakota paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 74. Fairly typical for a city this size. Median rent: $1,265/month — whether that matters depends on your situation — . Household income: $74,714. South Dakota is known for no income tax and Great Plains affordability — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Sioux Falls — cost index 74, rent $1,265/mo, income $74,714
1 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | $1,265 | 15% | 74 | Details |
206,410 residents · South Dakota
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, Housing (index 74) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $74,714 and homes at $326,187 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Sioux Falls | 0% | 6.1% | 1.08% | $75,297 |
We model what a $100K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Sioux Falls ranks #1 in South Dakota for this analysis with a cost index of 74 and median income of $74,714.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Sioux Falls, rent would consume about 15% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
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.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 0% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Sioux Falls is approximately $75,297/year ($6,275/month). After median rent of $1,265/month, you'd have roughly $60,117/year for all other expenses.
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.