State FMR profile · HUD FY2026

Fair Market Rents in South Dakota

The average 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent across South Dakota is $784/mo — 18% below the US average.

$784
Avg 1BR FMR
66
Counties
1
Metro areas

The verdict

South Dakota's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $990 — 16% below the US average, the 42nd lowest of 51 states.

#42
most affordable of 51 states (2BR)
-16%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$39,600
income to afford it (30% rule)
44%
gap, cheapest→priciest county

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for 66 counties and 1 metro areas in SD. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for South Dakota

Across South Dakota's 66 counties and 1 metro areas, HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents average $691 for a studio, $784 for a 1-bedroom, $990 for a 2-bedroom, $1,295 for a 3-bedroom, and $1,540 for a 4-bedroom. FMR is set at the county or metro FMR area level — not statewide — so the numbers above are the arithmetic average of every FMR area inside SD, weighted equally. Local housing authorities use each county's or metro's FMR (not the state average) to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically ranging from 90% to 110% of FMR.

Benchmarked against the rest of the country, South Dakota's average 1-bedroom FMR of $784 is 18% below the US average of $959. Inside the state, rents are not uniform — the cheapest 1-bedroom FMR is in Brown County at $708, while the most expensive is in Pennington County at $1,018, a spread of roughly 44% between the lowest- and highest-cost counties. That intra-state dispersion is why urban voucher recipients, families relocating for jobs, and landlords setting Section 8 rents all need to check the specific FMR area rather than rely on a statewide figure.

For affordability, the 30% rule implies a household income of $31,360 per year (about $2,613/month) to afford South Dakota's average 1-bedroom at $784. The ratio of FMR to local wages determines how many households are rent-burdened. Pair these rent figures with South Dakota's rent burden rankings and year-over-year rent growth pages to see which counties are tightening fastest and which remain comparatively affordable.

Where South Dakota sits among all 50 states + DC

Average 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. every US state

$990 Top 82% higher than 18% of 51 states

$900–$1,000: 11 states (22%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,100: 7 states (14%). Above this entry. $1,100–$1,200: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $1,300–$1,400: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,500: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,500–$1,600: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,700: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,700–$1,800: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,800–$1,900: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,900–$2,000: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,100: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,100–$2,200: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $2,300–$2,400: 0 states (0%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,500: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. SD $900 $2,500 every US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. 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

State Average vs National Average

Studio
$691
-23% vs US avg
1 BR
$784
-18% vs US avg
2 BR
$990
-16% vs US avg
3 BR
$1,295
-15% vs US avg
4 BR
$1,540
-12% vs US avg

Most expensive counties in South Dakota by 1-bedroom FMR

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent — the highest-cost 10 of 66 SD counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Inside SD, 1-bedroom FMR runs from $708 in Brown County to $1,018 in Pennington County.

Source HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data As of FY2026

Cheapest Counties

Lowest FMR rental costs →

Most Expensive Counties

Highest FMR rental costs →

Rent Burden

% of income spent on rent →

Rent Growth

YoY rent trends by county →

Metro areas in South Dakota

Each metro FMR area applies one rent schedule across all its counties, ranked here by 1-bedroom FMR.

# Metro area Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Custer County, SD HUD Metro FMR Area $809$894$1,173$1,631$1,968

Counties in South Dakota, ranked by rent (66)

All 66 counties with a published FY2026 Fair Market Rent, highest 1-bedroom first.

# County Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Pennington County $921$1,018$1,336$1,743$2,178
2 Lincoln County $865$986$1,156$1,586$1,939
3 McCook County $865$986$1,156$1,586$1,939
4 Minnehaha County $865$986$1,156$1,586$1,939
5 Turner County $865$986$1,156$1,586$1,939
6 Meade County $878$970$1,273$1,770$2,136
7 Union County $796$925$1,154$1,386$1,528
8 Buffalo County $830$918$1,204$1,444$1,864
9 Bennett County $815$901$1,182$1,417$1,830
10 Custer County $809$894$1,173$1,631$1,968
11 Fall River County $794$878$1,152$1,381$1,783
12 Clark County $641$847$929$1,144$1,256
13 Todd County $641$840$929$1,292$1,438
14 Butte County $758$838$1,099$1,318$1,701
15 Dewey County $641$832$929$1,207$1,230
16 Hughes County $713$832$1,034$1,308$1,601
17 Jackson County $641$826$929$1,182$1,365
18 Codington County $747$825$1,083$1,319$1,605
19 Hanson County $641$824$929$1,292$1,438
20 Potter County $736$813$1,067$1,358$1,652
21 Yankton County $641$811$929$1,292$1,438
22 Charles Mix County $803$807$929$1,292$1,558
23 Roberts County $641$799$929$1,234$1,558
24 Lawrence County $721$797$1,046$1,455$1,755
25 Campbell County $641$794$929$1,292$1,438
26 Hand County $641$788$929$1,292$1,438
27 Stanley County $713$788$1,034$1,316$1,601
28 Brookings County $776$781$953$1,325$1,599
29 Spink County $641$777$929$1,114$1,537
30 Aurora County $641$768$929$1,289$1,438
31 Sanborn County $641$766$929$1,292$1,438
32 Bon Homme County $641$762$929$1,292$1,558
33 Day County $641$751$929$1,292$1,438
34 Gregory County $641$749$929$1,242$1,438
35 Walworth County $676$747$980$1,175$1,470
36 Lake County $669$739$970$1,163$1,627
37 Beadle County $658$728$955$1,245$1,472
38 Kingsbury County $656$725$951$1,140$1,472
39 Faulk County $655$724$950$1,209$1,471
40 Douglas County $654$722$948$1,206$1,468
41 Haakon County $654$722$948$1,206$1,468
42 Harding County $654$722$948$1,206$1,468
43 Hyde County $654$722$948$1,206$1,468
44 Jerauld County $654$722$948$1,206$1,468
45 Mellette County $654$722$948$1,206$1,468
46 Perkins County $641$722$929$1,212$1,438
47 Sully County $654$722$948$1,206$1,468
48 Lyman County $648$716$940$1,127$1,455
49 Davison County $645$713$936$1,302$1,570
50 McPherson County $641$710$929$1,182$1,438
51 Brown County $652$708$929$1,168$1,477
52 Brule County $641$708$929$1,292$1,450
53 Clay County $641$708$929$1,292$1,558
54 Corson County $641$708$929$1,186$1,370
55 Deuel County $641$708$929$1,292$1,438
56 Edmunds County $641$708$929$1,246$1,250
57 Grant County $641$708$929$1,292$1,438
58 Hamlin County $641$708$929$1,225$1,230
59 Hutchinson County $641$708$929$1,210$1,230
60 Jones County $641$708$929$1,182$1,438
61 Marshall County $641$708$929$1,281$1,438
62 Miner County $641$708$929$1,182$1,438
63 Moody County $641$708$929$1,243$1,438
64 Oglala Lakota County $641$708$929$1,282$1,511
65 Tripp County $641$708$929$1,251$1,438
66 Ziebach County $641$708$929$1,114$1,230

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in South Dakota? ▼
The average FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in South Dakota is $784 per month. A 2-bedroom averages $990.
How does South Dakota rent compare to the national average? ▼
South Dakota rents are 18% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here averages $784 vs $959 nationally.
Where is the cheapest rent in South Dakota? ▼
The most affordable county is Brown County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $708. The most expensive is Pennington County at $1,018.
What income do I need to afford rent in South Dakota? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need at least $31,360/year ($2,613/month) to afford the average 1-bedroom FMR in South Dakota.

Explore South Dakota rent data

Rent burden → Rent growth → Cheapest counties → Most expensive counties → National rent-burden rankings → Affordability calculator →

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. See our methodology for details. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent data (huduser.gov).