Rent Affordability for A Firefighter in South Dakota

A typical firefighter in South Dakota earns about $55,273 a year, which supports approximately $1,382 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked South Dakota city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 8 of 10 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 2 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Vermillion, SD$783/mo17%very comfortable
Mitchell, SD$972/mo21.1%affordable
Aberdeen, SD$1,049/mo22.8%affordable
Brookings, SD$1,100/mo23.9%affordable
Brandon, SD$1,202/mo26.1%affordable
Tea, SD$1,257/mo27.3%affordable
Harrisburg, SD$1,265/mo27.5%affordable
Sioux Falls, SD$1,327/mo28.8%affordable
Rapid City, SD$1,443/mo31.3%stretched
Box Elder, SD$1,557/mo33.8%stretched
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for South Dakota. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).