County FMR · HUD FY2026

Brookings County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Brookings County, SD - 19% below the US average.

$781
1-bedroom FMR
$953
2-bedroom FMR
+2.1%
YoY change
-19%
vs US avg

The verdict

Brookings is the 21st most expensive of 66 counties in South Dakota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #819 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#819
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#21
most expensive of 66 in South Dakota (2BR)
-0%
vs the state average
$31,240
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (34.7%); 13 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Brookings County, SD. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Brookings County, South Dakota is $781 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $953/mo and a studio is $776/mo. This is 19% lower than the national average of $959 and 0% below the South Dakota average of $784.

Rent increased2.1% from FY 2025 ($765), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $31,240/year.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in South Dakota. Population: 34,631. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.1%, Census ACS). That's slower than South Dakota's statewide growth of +4.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area BROOKINGS·COUNTY·SD·SD

Brookings County, SD: $781/mo 1BR · #819 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA SD
  • 1BR-FMR $781
  • 2BR-FMR $953
  • RANK-MID #819
  • YOY-UP +2.1%
  • VSUS-BELOW -19%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -0% SD
  • INC-ROOM 14%
  • POP-SMALL 35K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Minnehaha County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $703–$859
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Minnehaha ($205 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $691 · US avg: $893
$776/mo
↑ 2.0% YoY +12% vs state -13% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $784 · US avg: $959
$781/mo
↑ 2.1% YoY -0% vs state -19% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $990 · US avg: $1,175
$953/mo
↑ 3.3% YoY -4% vs state -19% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,295 · US avg: $1,525
$1,325/mo
↑ 2.5% YoY +2% vs state -13% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,540 · US avg: $1,756
$1,599/mo
↑ 3.2% YoY +4% vs state -9% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $761
$776
+$15 (+2.0%)
1 Bedroom $765
$781
+$16 (+2.1%)
2 Bedroom $923
$953
+$30 (+3.3%)
3 Bedroom $1,293
$1,325
+$32 (+2.5%)
4 Bedroom $1,550
$1,599
+$49 (+3.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Brookings County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
13.8%
Affordable
Need $31,040/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
13.9%
Affordable
Need $31,240/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
17%
Affordable
Need $38,120/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
23.6%
Affordable
Need $53,000/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
28.5%
Affordable
Need $63,960/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%17%
Brookings County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $67,341 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View South Dakota rent burden →

Where Brookings sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$953 higher than 26% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Brookings compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other South Dakota counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Brookings is highlighted. Nearby South Dakota counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Pennington County ($1,018), Minnehaha County ($986), Lincoln County ($986), Meade County ($970), Codington County ($825), Brookings County (this county) ($781), Brown County ($708).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $781/mo, most of these South Dakota occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation SD Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $133,440 7% Affordable
Software Developers $87,770 10.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,310 12.1% Affordable
Registered Nurses $69,510 13.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $60,300 15.5% Affordable
Electricians $58,550 16% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $57,300 16.4% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $56,880 16.5% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $49,110 19.1% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $43,760 21.4% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $39,760 23.6% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $34,260 27.4% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $33,940 27.6% Affordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $29,480 31.8% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $27,020 34.7% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (South Dakota) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Brookings County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Brookings (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 23.6% overall, from $632 to $781. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 17.8% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$550$600$650$700$750$800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $781
Brookings County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑2.1% $776 $781 $953
FY 2025 ↓3.0% $761 $765 $923
FY 2024 ↑17.8% $784 $789 $1,007
FY 2023 ↑10.2% $663 $670 $869
FY 2022 ↑2.5% $604 $608 $800
FY 2021 ↓6.2% $589 $593 $780
FY 2020 $628 $632 $807
Total change (6yr): +23.6%
Annualized: +3.6%/yr
1 BR: $632 → $781

Part of the Brookings, SD Micro Area

Brookings County is a central county of the Brookings, SD micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Brookings County, both outside South Dakota so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside SD (FY2026).

Warren County
MS · 2 BR $953/mo
DeKalb County
TN · 2 BR $953/mo
Taylor County
WV · 2 BR $953/mo
Marion County
MO · 2 BR $952/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside SD).

Portage County
WI · 17% of income · 2 BR $1,037/mo
Moniteau County
MO · 17% of income · 2 BR $922/mo
Buffalo County
WI · 17% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Hardin County
IA · 17% of income · 2 BR $919/mo

Nearby Counties in South Dakota

Largest counties by population in South Dakota

Showing the 8 largest of 65 other counties in South Dakota.

Minnehaha County
1 BR: $986/mo Pop: 197,742
Pennington County
1 BR: $1,018/mo Pop: 110,386
Lincoln County
1 BR: $986/mo Pop: 65,801
Brown County
1 BR: $708/mo Pop: 38,278
Meade County
1 BR: $970/mo Pop: 29,970
Codington County
1 BR: $825/mo Pop: 28,402
Lawrence County
1 BR: $797/mo Pop: 26,047
Yankton County
1 BR: $811/mo Pop: 23,311
View all counties in South Dakota →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Brookings County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Brookings County is $781 per month. A 2-bedroom is $953 and a studio is $776.
How does Brookings County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Brookings County is 19% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $781 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Brookings County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Brookings County's 2-bedroom FMR of $953 ranks #819 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Brookings County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $31,240 ($2,603/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Brookings County.
Is rent going up or down in Brookings County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Brookings County increased by 2.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $765 to $781.
Which jobs can afford rent in Brookings County? ▼
Based on South Dakota BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Accountants and Auditors can afford a 1-bedroom at $781/mo. 13 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Brookings County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Brookings County went from $632 in FY 2020 to $781 in FY 2026, a total change of +23.6% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Brookings County? ▼
In Brookings County, the FY 2026 FMR of $781/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Brookings County? ▼
For Brookings County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($781/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.