What it's like to live in Pierre
Pierre is a small city in South Dakota with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pierre deals with crime rates above the national average, cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 37" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Pierre compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pierre
Based on Pierre's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,966
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,320 a year
- 33% of Pierre renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,070
- 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▼ 30% below US
$983/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $983 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $230,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $230,700 · 33% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
1.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Hughes County is 1.7%, 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.
Hughes County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 70% above US
561 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1764/100k · Pierre Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 49% below US
13 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 13.3 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 85°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 12°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to 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 Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (91 miles away).
Bottom line
Pierre's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($983/mo) equals 15% 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 people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Pierre
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