South Dakota by the numbers
A decision-oriented profile: what it costs to live here, what the job market looks like, and how it stacks up against where you are now. Every figure links to its official source.
The bottom line on South Dakota
The cost-of-living picture
Overall prices in South Dakota run at 88.6 on the BEA index, where 100 is the US average — among the most affordable states in the country. That puts it 11% below the national level, the 6th-cheapest state of 51. The single biggest factor is housing rents, which sits at 67.6 — 32% below the national norm.
Housing
The typical renter pays $946 a month — 33% below the national median of $1,413, the 50th-highest rent in the country. Buying is a bigger gap: the median home is worth $257,400, 23% below the national median. 68.6% of homes are owner-occupied, making it an ownership-heavy state. Renters here spend a median 25.9% of their income on rent, within the range usually considered affordable.
Do paychecks keep up with prices?
Median household income is $75,081, the 31st-highest of 51 states. But income only matters relative to prices: adjusted for local costs, that is worth $84,742 in national-average terms. Because costs are low, South Dakota punches above its paycheck: it climbs from 31st in raw income to 20th once you adjust for prices.
The tax trade-off
South Dakota levies no tax on wage income. And its combined sales tax is comparatively mild at 6.11%, a genuinely light overall burden. (Tax figures are hand-verified from the Tax Foundation and dated on the page below.)
The job market
Unemployment stands at 2.1% (May 2026), 50% below the national 4.2%. That is a tighter labor market than the country as a whole. It is also the one figure here that refreshes monthly, rather than annually.
Every figure above is drawn from the sourced data on this page — no estimates, no filler.
What it costs to live here
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive than the national average.
| Component | South Dakota | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.6 | −11.4% |
| Housing rents | 67.6 | −32.4% |
| Goods | 95.5 | −4.5% |
| Utilities | 79.7 | −20.3% |
| Other services | 91.9 | −8.1% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 2026 · Official API
Housing & income (ACS)
| Median gross rent | $946/mo |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $257,400 |
| Median household income | $75,081/yr |
| Homeownership rate | 68.6% |
| Median rent as % of income | 25.9% |
| Median owner costs as % of income | 16.3% |
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official API
The job market
The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in South Dakota is 2.1% as of May 2026 (preliminary). This is the one figure here that updates monthly.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · LAUS · May 2026 · rel. May 2026 · Official API
How South Dakota has changed since 2005
Home prices (FHFA index)
Home prices in South Dakota are up 141% since 2005 (FHFA index). That outpaces the national 97% — home values here have grown faster than the country as a whole.
Data table
| Year | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 266 | 363 |
| 2006 | 276 | 379 |
| 2007 | 286 | 375 |
| 2008 | 291 | 348 |
| 2009 | 288 | 330 |
| 2010 | 291 | 324 |
| 2011 | 292 | 313 |
| 2012 | 298 | 315 |
| 2013 | 308 | 328 |
| 2014 | 318 | 345 |
| 2015 | 332 | 362 |
| 2016 | 347 | 382 |
| 2017 | 363 | 403 |
| 2018 | 381 | 422 |
| 2019 | 398 | 444 |
| 2020 | 421 | 471 |
| 2021 | 499 | 556 |
| 2022 | 561 | 617 |
| 2023 | 589 | 649 |
| 2024 | 615 | 685 |
| 2025 | 637 | 708 |
| 2026 | 642 | 713 |
Unemployment rate
State unemployment peaked at 4.9% in 2010 and stands at 2.2% today — well down from the peak.
Data table
| Year | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 3.5% | 5.1% |
| 2006 | 3% | 4.6% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | 5.8% |
| 2009 | 4.6% | 9.3% |
| 2010 | 4.9% | 9.6% |
| 2011 | 4.6% | 8.9% |
| 2012 | 4% | 8.1% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | 7.4% |
| 2014 | 3.3% | 6.2% |
| 2015 | 3% | 5.3% |
| 2016 | 3% | 4.9% |
| 2017 | 3% | 4.4% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | 3.9% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | 3.7% |
| 2020 | 4.1% | 8.1% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | 5.4% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | 3.7% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | 3.6% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | 4% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| 2026 | 2.2% | 4.3% |
FRED (FHFA House Price Index & state unemployment) · FRED · through 2026 · rel. continuously updated · Official API
What you'd pay in tax
| Individual income tax | No wage income tax |
|---|---|
| Sales tax (state) | 4.20% |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 6.11% |
Tax Foundation — 2026 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets · Income · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Tax Foundation — State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 · Sales · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
How it compares to where you are now
See how far your income would go here versus your current state — adjusted for what things actually cost.
Compare your income in South Dakota →Where South Dakota ranks
Sources for every figure on this page
BEA Regional Price Parities ·
SARPP· 2024 · rel. February 2026 · Official APIBLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics ·
LAUS· May 2026 · rel. May 2026 · Official APIUS Census ACS 5-Year Estimates ·
ACS5· 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official APITax Foundation — 2026 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets ·
Income· 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20Tax Foundation — State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 ·
Sales· 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Occupation wages and a full tax profile for South Dakota are being added. See the methodology →