County FMR · HUD FY2026
Buffalo County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Buffalo County, SD - 4% below the US average.
- $918
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,204
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +11.3%
- YoY change
- -4%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Buffalo is the 3rd most expensive of 66 counties in South Dakota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #975 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 11.3% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #975
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- most expensive of 66 in South Dakota (2BR)
- +17%
- vs the state average
- $36,720
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.3%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (40.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Buffalo County, SD. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Buffalo County, South Dakota is $918 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,204/mo and a studio is $830/mo. This is 4% lower than the national average of $959 and 17% above the South Dakota average of $784.
Rent increased11.3% from FY 2025 ($825), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $36,720/year for a 1-bedroom.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in South Dakota. Population: 1,859.
FMR filing desk
Area BUFFALO·COUNTY·SD·SD
Buffalo County, SD: $918/mo 1BR · #975 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA SD
- 1BR-FMR $918
- 2BR-FMR $1,204
- RANK-MID #975
- YOY-SURGE +11.3%
- VSUS-NEAR -4%
- VS-ST-HIGH +17% SD
- INC-MID 23%
- POP-SMALL 2K
- PHOTO-NEAR Minnehaha County
- VOUCH-90-110 $826–$1,010
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Minnehaha ($68 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $742 | $830 | +$88 (+11.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $825 | $918 | +$93 (+11.3%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,082 | $1,204 | +$122 (+11.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,304 | $1,444 | +$140 (+10.7%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,688 | $1,864 | +$176 (+10.4%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Buffalo County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Buffalo sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,204 Top 31% higher than 69% of 3,145 counties
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 Buffalo compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other South Dakota counties
- Pennington
Pennington County
$1,018 1BR FMR / mo
- Minnehaha
Minnehaha County
$986 1BR FMR / mo
- Lincoln
Lincoln County
$986 1BR FMR / mo
- Meade
Meade County
$970 1BR FMR / mo
- Buffalo
Buffalo County
$918 1BR FMR / mo
- Brookings
Brookings County
$781 1BR FMR / mo
- Brown
Brown County
$708 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Buffalo 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), Buffalo County (this county) ($918), Brookings County ($781), Brown County ($708).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $918/mo compares to South Dakota salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | SD Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $133,440 | 8.3% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $87,770 | 12.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,310 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $69,510 | 15.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,300 | 18.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,550 | 18.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $57,300 | 19.2% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,880 | 19.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $49,110 | 22.4% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,760 | 25.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,760 | 27.7% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,260 | 32.2% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,940 | 32.5% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,480 | 37.4% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,020 | 40.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Buffalo County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Buffalo (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 55.3% overall, from $591 to $918. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 21.3% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑11.3% | $830 | $918 | $1,204 |
| FY 2025 ↑2.0% | $742 | $825 | $1,082 |
| FY 2024 ↑21.3% | $720 | $809 | $1,063 |
| FY 2023 ↑16.0% | $611 | $667 | $878 |
| FY 2022 ↑5.3% | $541 | $575 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↓7.6% | $503 | $546 | $719 |
| FY 2020 | $532 | $591 | $779 |
Where Buffalo County Ranks in South Dakota
Buffalo County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #64 of 66 counties in South Dakota. Nearest by rank: Fall River County ($1,152), Union County ($1,154), Lincoln County ($1,156), McCook County ($1,156), Minnehaha County ($1,156), Turner County ($1,156), Custer County ($1,173), Bennett County ($1,182), Buffalo County (this county) ($1,204), Meade County ($1,273), Pennington County ($1,336).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Buffalo 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside SD).
Nearby Counties in South Dakota
Largest counties by population in South Dakota
Showing the 8 largest of 65 other counties in South Dakota.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Buffalo County? ▼
How does Buffalo County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Buffalo County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Buffalo County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Buffalo County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Buffalo County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Buffalo County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Buffalo County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Buffalo County? ▼
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.
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.