County FMR · HUD FY2026
Minnehaha County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Minnehaha County, SD - 3% above the US average.
- $986
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,156
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +11.8%
- YoY change
- +3%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Minnehaha is the 7th most expensive of 66 counties in South Dakota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,132 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 11.8% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #1,132
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #7
- most expensive of 66 in South Dakota (2BR)
- +26%
- vs the state average
- $39,440
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.9%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (43.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Minnehaha County, SD. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Minnehaha County, South Dakota is $986 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,156/mo and a studio is $865/mo. This is 3% higher than the national average of $959 and 26% above the South Dakota average of $784.
Rent increased11.8% from FY 2025 ($882), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $39,440/year for a 1-bedroom.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in South Dakota. Population: 197,742. Population grew 7.5% 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 MINNEHAHA·COUNTY·SD·SD
Minnehaha County, SD: $986/mo 1BR · #1132 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA SD
- 1BR-FMR $986
- 2BR-FMR $1,156
- RANK-MID #1,132
- YOY-SURGE +11.8%
- VSUS-NEAR +3%
- VS-ST-HIGH +26% SD
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-MID 198K
- PHOTO-NEAR Pennington County
- VOUCH-90-110 $887–$1,085
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Pennington ($32 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $748 | $865 | +$117 (+15.6%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $882 | $986 | +$104 (+11.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,030 | $1,156 | +$126 (+12.2%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,412 | $1,586 | +$174 (+12.3%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,730 | $1,939 | +$209 (+12.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,156 Top 36% higher than 64% 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 Minnehaha 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
- Codington
Codington County
$825 1BR FMR / mo
- Brookings
Brookings County
$781 1BR FMR / mo
- Brown
Brown County
$708 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Minnehaha is highlighted. Nearby South Dakota counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Pennington County ($1,018), Minnehaha County (this county) ($986), Lincoln County ($986), Meade County ($970), Codington County ($825), Brookings County ($781), Brown County ($708).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $986/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 | 8.9% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $87,770 | 13.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,310 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $69,510 | 17% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,300 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,550 | 20.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $57,300 | 20.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,880 | 20.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $49,110 | 24.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,760 | 27% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,760 | 29.8% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,260 | 34.5% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,940 | 34.9% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,480 | 40.1% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,020 | 43.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Minnehaha County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Minnehaha (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 43.9% overall, from $685 to $986. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 11.8% (FY 2026).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑11.8% | $865 | $986 | $1,156 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.2% | $748 | $882 | $1,030 |
| FY 2024 ↑11.5% | $769 | $884 | $1,042 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.2% | $710 | $793 | $949 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.7% | $668 | $733 | $897 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.2% | $642 | $714 | $874 |
| FY 2020 | $599 | $685 | $839 |
Part of the Sioux Falls, SD-MN Metro Area
Minnehaha County is a central county of the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 4 other metro-area counties.
Minnehaha County ranks #4 of 5 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Lincoln County ($986), Turner County ($986), McCook County ($986), Minnehaha County (this county) ($986), Rock County ($742).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha County? ▼
How does Minnehaha County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Minnehaha County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Minnehaha County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Minnehaha County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Minnehaha County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Minnehaha County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Minnehaha County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Minnehaha 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.