What it's like to live in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls is a large city in South Dakota with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, 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. Sioux Falls deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 45" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Sioux Falls compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sioux Falls
Based on Sioux Falls's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,070
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,400 a year
- 40% of Sioux Falls renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$58,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,240
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,035/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,035 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $292,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $292,400 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 53% below US
2.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.0%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 11% above US
364 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2198/100k · Sioux Falls Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 35% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17 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; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 10°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
6 hospitals
There are 6 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.8 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
38% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 38% 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
60 public schools inside the boundary
There are 60 public schools inside the boundary and 14 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Pipestone National Monument (38 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Sioux Falls's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,035/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, 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.
See all the data for Sioux Falls →·All South Dakota cities →
Other places near Sioux Falls
All South Dakota guides →Not sure Sioux Falls is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.