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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 112. And most of the time, sioux Falls stands out at 95 on the index, with rent of $1,265/month and household income of $74,714. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
#1 Ranked: Sioux Falls — cost index 95, rent $1,265/mo, income $74,714
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in South Dakota beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. And most of the time, sioux Falls stands out at 95 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 95 — this is the part where it gets real — (17 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 — Utilities is the cheapest category at 88, while Healthcare runs 98. 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.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | 95 | $1,265 | Details |
206,410 residents · South Dakota
The way we see it, Sioux Falls is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,265/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 95. Income sits at $74,714. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
Cities are ranked by overall cost of living index in descending order. High-cost cities are typically driven by housing prices — a city with an index of 150 has overall costs roughly 50% above the national median, with housing often 2-3× that premium. 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 95 and 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.