What it's like to live in Vermillion
Vermillion 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 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. Vermillion deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above 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
- Clean air
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Vermillion compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Vermillion
Based on Vermillion's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,528
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $30,560 a year
- 46% of Vermillion renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$43,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,900
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 46% below US
$764/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $764 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 $219,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $219,000 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Clay County is 2.1%, 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.
Clay County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 44% below US
185 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 1141/100k · Vermillion Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 35% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.9 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 13°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 41% above US
51% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 Missouri National Recreational River (34 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Vermillion'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 a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($764/mo) equals 18% 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.
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