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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in South Dakota beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Sioux Falls stands out at 74 on the index, with rent of $1,265/month and household income of $74,714. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in South Dakota beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Sioux Falls stands out at 74 on the index, with rent of $1,265/month and household income of $74,714. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Dive into Sioux Falls's numbers: cost index 74 (37 points below national average), rent $1,265/month, income $74,714, and a home price of $326,187. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 74, while Healthcare runs 95. With 206,410 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Sioux Falls — cost index 74, rent $1,265/mo, income $74,714
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
206,410 residents · South Dakota
Dive into Sioux Falls's numbers: cost index 74 — for better or worse — (37 points below national average), rent $1,265/month, income $74,714, and a home price of $326,187. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 74, while Healthcare runs 95. With 206,410 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | $1,265 | 30% | 74 | Details |
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Sioux Falls | 0% | 6.1% | 1.08% | $40,122 |
We model what a $50K 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 $50K salary in Sioux Falls, rent would consume about 30% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
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 $50K in Sioux Falls is approximately $40,122/year ($3,344/month). After median rent of $1,265/month, you'd have roughly $24,942/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.