Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Brookings, SD?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.4% of gross income.
Brookings rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (South Dakota state estimate).
About rent and an elementary school teacher salary
Teacher affordability is one of the sharpest local-rent lenses available, because public-school pay scales are set by state and district while rent is set by local market conditions. The result is that two teachers with identical credentials can face very different rent burdens depending on where they teach. At the national-average teacher salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,677 a month in rent — comfortable in most of the Midwest and South, tight in mid-cost cities, and out of reach without roommates in the most expensive coastal markets. The per-city pages below combine local rent with local teacher-pay estimates to show where the math works.
Cheaper rent nearby
These South Dakota cities have lower median rent than Brookings, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:
Compare with full rent data for Brookings
View full rent data for Brookings, SD →Frequently asked questions
Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Brookings, SD?
Median rent in Brookings is $1,100 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in South Dakota earns about $59,030 a year, which makes that rent 22.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can an elementary school teacher afford in Brookings?
Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in South Dakota (~$59,030/yr) supports up to $1,476 a month in rent. Brookings's current median rent is $1,100/mo, which leaves a $376/mo buffer.
How many hours does an elementary school teacher work to cover rent in Brookings?
At an hourly equivalent of about $28 an hour, an elementary school teacher in South Dakota works roughly 38.8 hours a month to cover Brookings's median rent of $1,100.
Where is rent cheaper than Brookings for an elementary school teacher?
Nearby South Dakota cities with lower median rent include Aberdeen ($1,049/mo), Vermillion ($1,045/mo), Brandon ($1,035/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.