What it's like to live in South Sioux City
South Sioux City is a small city in Nebraska with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. South Sioux City deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How South Sioux City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to South Sioux City
Based on South Sioux City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,254
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,080 a year
- 46% of South Sioux City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$34,940
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,470
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,127/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,127 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $174,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $174,700 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Dakota County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Dakota County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 50% below US
166 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1960/100k · South Sioux City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 53% below US
12 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 12.2 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 12°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 57% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Missouri National Recreational River (64 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
South Sioux City's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,127/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
See all the data for South Sioux City →·All Nebraska cities →
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