County FMR · HUD FY2026
Clark County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Clark County, SD - 12% below the US average.
- $847
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $929
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +8.9%
- YoY change
- -12%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Clark is the 7th cheapest of 66 counties in South Dakota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #661 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 8.9% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #661
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #7
- cheapest of 66 in South Dakota (2BR)
- +8%
- vs the state average
- $33,880
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.6%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (37.6%); 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 Clark County, SD. Verify with HUD →
Clark County, South Dakota carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $847 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $929/mo and a studio is $641/mo. That's 12% below the national benchmark of $959 and 8% above the South Dakota average of $784.
Rent increased8.9% from FY 2025 ($778), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $33,880/year for a 1-bedroom.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in South Dakota. Population: 3,837. Population grew 5.5% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than South Dakota's statewide growth of +4.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CLARK·COUNTY·SD·SD
Clark County, SD: $847/mo 1BR · #661 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA SD
- 1BR-FMR $847
- 2BR-FMR $929
- RANK-MID #661
- YOY-SURGE +8.9%
- VSUS-BELOW -12%
- VS-ST-HIGH +8% SD
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 4K
- PHOTO-NEAR Minnehaha County
- VOUCH-90-110 $762–$932
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Minnehaha ($139 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $598 | $641 | +$43 (+7.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $778 | $847 | +$69 (+8.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $872 | $929 | +$57 (+6.5%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,051 | $1,144 | +$93 (+8.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,193 | $1,256 | +$63 (+5.3%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Clark 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 Clark sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$929 higher than 21% 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 Clark 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
- Clark
Clark County
$847 1BR FMR / mo
- Brookings
Brookings County
$781 1BR FMR / mo
- Brown
Brown County
$708 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Clark 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), Clark County (this county) ($847), Brookings County ($781), Brown County ($708).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $847/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 | 7.6% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $87,770 | 11.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,310 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $69,510 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,300 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,550 | 17.4% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $57,300 | 17.7% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,880 | 17.9% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $49,110 | 20.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,760 | 23.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,760 | 25.6% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,260 | 29.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,940 | 29.9% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,480 | 34.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,020 | 37.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Clark County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Clark (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 50.4% overall, from $563 to $847. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.3% in FY 2025, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑8.9% | $641 | $847 | $929 |
| FY 2025 ↑12.3% | $598 | $778 | $872 |
| FY 2024 ↑10.4% | $613 | $693 | $905 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.2% | $575 | $628 | $826 |
| FY 2022 ↑5.3% | $541 | $575 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↓3.0% | $503 | $546 | $719 |
| FY 2020 | $507 | $563 | $742 |
Where Clark County Ranks in South Dakota
Clark 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 #7 of 66 counties in South Dakota. Nearest by rank: Aurora County ($929), Bon Homme County ($929), Brown County ($929), Brule County ($929), Campbell County ($929), Charles Mix County ($929), Clark County (this county) ($929), Clay County ($929), Corson County ($929), Day County ($929), Deuel County ($929), Dewey County ($929), Edmunds County ($929), Grant County ($929), Gregory County ($929).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Clark 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 Clark County? ▼
How does Clark County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Clark County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Clark County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Clark County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Clark County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Clark County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Clark County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Clark 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.