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SDSouth Dakota rankings

Most affordable towns in South Dakota

Ranked by how many years of a typical SD household income ($75,081) it takes to buy each town's median home. Lower is easier to buy in. 37 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Map of Winner 1 Winner 1.4 yrs $106,100 median home 2 Sisseton 1.5 yrs $109,200 median home 3 Mobridge 1.8 yrs $136,800 median home
#TownYears of incomeHome valueMedian income
1 Map of Winner Winner2,905 people 1.4 yrs $106,100 $47,381
2 Sisseton2,670 people 1.5 yrs $109,200 $48,875
3 Mobridge2,932 people 1.8 yrs $136,800 $65,357
4 Milbank3,525 people 2.1 yrs $155,000 $56,011
5 Map of Huron Huron14,385 people 2.1 yrs $159,000 $61,452
6 Map of Lead Lead3,006 people 2.5 yrs $189,400 $73,047
7 Canton Canton3,033 people 2.5 yrs $191,400 $60,850
8 Map of Mitchell Mitchell15,649 people 2.6 yrs $192,200 $58,620
9 Map of Madison Madison6,094 people 2.6 yrs $193,100 $65,593
10 Hot Springs Hot Springs3,548 people 2.7 yrs $202,600 $66,338
11 Aberdeen28,189 people 2.9 yrs $217,300 $64,405
12 Vermillion11,878 people 2.9 yrs $219,000 $50,456
13 Belle Fourche5,804 people 3.0 yrs $222,500 $65,071
14 Yankton15,540 people 3.0 yrs $222,700 $67,804
15 Chamberlain2,588 people 3.0 yrs $224,300 $76,761
16 Watertown Watertown23,044 people 3.1 yrs $229,400 $69,600
17 Pierre13,948 people 3.1 yrs $230,700 $77,672
18 Elk Point Elk Point2,537 people 3.3 yrs $248,500 $90,473
19 Rapid Valley Rapid Valley6,975 people 3.4 yrs $255,500 $83,208
20 Map of Hartford Hartford3,478 people 3.4 yrs $257,700 $99,893
21 Brookings23,948 people 3.5 yrs $265,500 $63,493
22 Map of North Sioux City North Sioux City3,045 people 3.6 yrs $269,800 $71,908
23 Sturgis Sturgis7,086 people 3.6 yrs $271,200 $54,404
24 Blackhawk2,934 people 3.6 yrs $273,300 $71,993
25 Map of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls201,469 people 3.9 yrs $292,400 $75,970
26 Map of Rapid City Rapid City77,946 people 4.0 yrs $299,400 $70,870
27 Dell Rapids Dell Rapids3,905 people 4.0 yrs $301,700 $100,170
28 Box Elder Box Elder12,902 people 4.0 yrs $302,100 $73,008
29 Map of Harrisburg Harrisburg8,519 people 4.2 yrs $312,200 $108,724
30 Map of Brandon Brandon10,996 people 4.5 yrs $336,600 $110,806
31 Spearfish Spearfish12,930 people 4.6 yrs $346,200 $65,688
32 Map of Tea Tea6,786 people 4.7 yrs $351,100 $120,139
33 Map of Summerset Summerset3,022 people 4.9 yrs $368,300 $119,271
34 Colonial Pine Hills2,609 people 5.4 yrs $406,500 $98,696
35 Split RockMinnehaha County · 3,143 people 6.7 yrs $499,600 $147,717
36 Big SiouxUnion County · 4,917 people 6.7 yrs $502,200 $128,005
37 Dakota Dunes3,936 people 7.5 yrs $565,600 $136,125

How this ranking works

We divide each town’s median home value by the SD median household income ($75,081). The result is how many years of a typical paycheck it takes to buy a typical home there. Lower is more affordable. Across South Dakota as a whole it’s 3.4 years.

Why not each town’s own income? That would rank wealthy towns with half-million-dollar homes as “affordable” only because their residents earn so much. One shared income answers the question people actually ask: where could a typical family afford to live?

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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