Can A Waiter or Waitress Afford Rent in Vermillion, SD?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.2% of gross income.
Vermillion rent: May 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (South Dakota state estimate).
About rent and a waiter or waitress salary
Declared server pay (base plus reported tips) sits below the rent threshold needed for a one-bedroom apartment in most US cities, which is why the server workforce tends to live in shared housing. Actual tip income varies widely and can push real take-home well above the BLS figure, particularly in fine-dining and high-volume restaurants. At the national-average declared server salary, the 30% rule supports about $913 a month in rent. The per-city pages show which markets keep rent within that range.
Compare with full rent data for Vermillion
View full rent data for Vermillion, SD →Frequently asked questions
Can a waiter or waitress afford rent in Vermillion, SD?
Median rent in Vermillion is $783 a month. A typical waiter or waitress in South Dakota earns about $32,146 a year, which makes that rent 29.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a waiter or waitress afford in Vermillion?
Using the 30% rule, a waiter or waitress salary in South Dakota (~$32,146/yr) supports up to $804 a month in rent. Vermillion's current median rent is $783/mo, which leaves a $21/mo buffer.
How many hours does a waiter or waitress work to cover rent in Vermillion?
At an hourly equivalent of about $15 an hour, a waiter or waitress in South Dakota works roughly 50.7 hours a month to cover Vermillion's median rent of $783.