Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Brandon, SD?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.4% of gross income.

Brandon rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (South Dakota state estimate).

Brandon median rent
$1,325/mo
Police Officer salary (South Dakota)
$67,998/yr
Rent as % of income
23.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,667, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,700/mo in rent. Brandon's median rent of $1,325 leaves roughly $375/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 40.5 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a police officer salary

The gap between a police officer's base pay and the rent in the city they patrol is a widely tracked local affordability question. Many large-city departments now publish recruitment materials that include a local-rent comparison, because affordability has become a recruiting issue. At the national-average officer base pay, the 30% rule supports about $1,932 a month in rent. The per-city pages combine local rent with local officer-pay estimates to show where rent stays within that range.

Cheaper rent nearby

These South Dakota cities have lower median rent than Brandon, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Sioux Falls, SD
$1,323/mo (23.3% of income)
Sioux Falls, SD
$1,322/mo (23.3% of income)
Sioux Falls, SD
$1,318/mo (23.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Brandon

View full rent data for Brandon, SD

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Brandon, SD?

Median rent in Brandon is $1,325 a month. A typical police officer in South Dakota earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 23.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Brandon?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in South Dakota (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Brandon's current median rent is $1,325/mo, which leaves a $375/mo buffer.

How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Brandon?

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in South Dakota works roughly 40.5 hours a month to cover Brandon's median rent of $1,325.

Where is rent cheaper than Brandon for a police officer?

Nearby South Dakota cities with lower median rent include Sioux Falls ($1,323/mo), Sioux Falls ($1,322/mo), Sioux Falls ($1,318/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived South Dakota state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Brandon, SD. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.