What it's like to live in Brandon
Brandon is a small city in South Dakota with rent below the national average, county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above 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. Brandon deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Clean air
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 49" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Brandon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Brandon
Based on Brandon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,952
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,040 a year
- 35% of Brandon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$67,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,660
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 31% below US
$976/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $976 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices run above average, with a median around $336,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $336,600 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Minnehaha County is 2.0%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Minnehaha County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 86% below US
46 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 334/100k · Brandon Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 29% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 12°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 16% above US
42% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 42% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pipestone National Monument (32 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Brandon's strongest points are rent below the national average and county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($976/mo) equals 11% of the median household income here, less than 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 dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Brandon
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