South Dakota Budget Planner — Updated 2026

South Dakota (SD) · No state income tax · Property tax: 1.24% · Median home (ZHVI): $275,000

As of Apr 2026 · Sources: Zillow ZHVI, Tax Foundation, Census ACS, Freddie Mac PMMS

Written by Jere Salmisto·Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial·Methodology
TL;DR

South Dakota cost-of-living index is 88.1 (US = 100). Median home: $275,000, property tax 1.24%, no state income tax (2026).

Source: Zillow ZHVI / Tax Foundation, 2026-04-19

Budgeting in South Dakota starts with understanding that the cost of living index of 88.1 directly impacts every spending category. South Dakota's cost of living at or below average gives residents more budgeting flexibility. With no state income tax, your gross-to-net conversion is simpler and your take-home is higher than equivalent earners in taxed states. Property tax at 1.24% and homeowners insurance averaging $3,160/year are fixed costs that homeowners in South Dakota must account for. The 50/30/20 guideline (needs/wants/savings) is a useful starting point, adjusted for South Dakota's specific cost profile.

South Dakota Financial Snapshot (2026) — Budget Planner

Cost-of-living index and median income anchor the budget math for the budget planner in South Dakota. Every row cites a primary public dataset. Numbers reflect the most recent vintage available; refresh cadence is documented in the methodology.

MetricSouth DakotaSource
Top marginal income tax rateNone[1]
Cost-of-living index (BEA RPP)88.1 (US = 100)[2]
Median household income$79,850/yr[3]
Median home value (ZHVI)$275,000[4]
Property tax effective rate1.24%[5]
Minimum wage$11.20/hr[6]

How the Budget Planner Math Works Under South Dakota Law

Your budget planner in South Dakota is driven by the BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) — a purchasing-power index where US = 100. The all-items RPP tells you how far a dollar goes statewide vs the national average; housing-only RPP isolates the rent/mortgage side, which is the single biggest budget line for most households[1].

When the all-items RPP is above 100, the same expense basket costs more to maintain in South Dakota. The 50/30/20 rule (needs/wants/savings) bends toward needs in high-RPP states and toward savings in low-RPP states.

★Reality Score— Bigger picture for South Dakota — score your full money snapshot, free.See my full picture →
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Worked Examples: Budget Planner in South Dakota Cities

Same formula, different inputs. Each city name links to its own pSEO page where the calculator is pre-filled with local medians.

CityMedian homeMedian rentHUD FMR 2BRMedian income
Sioux Falls, SD$336,938$1,315/mo$1,200/mo$81,418
Rapid City, SD$369,930$1,352/mo$1,250/mo$71,985

Sources: Zillow ZHVI + ZORI[1], HUD FMR[2], Census ACS[3], Freddie Mac PMMS[4].

How South Dakota Compares to Neighboring States

Moving one state over changes the budget planner numbers. Compare median home value (Zillow ZHVI), top marginal income tax rate, effective property tax rate, and the BEA all-items Regional Price Parity across South Dakota and its border states.

StateMedian homeTop inc taxProp tax rateRPP (US=100)
South Dakota (this page)$275,000None1.24%88.1
check Iowa$215,0003.80%1.50%88.8
check Minnesota$335,0009.85%1.12%98.3
compare to Montana$460,0005.90%0.83%91.0
Nebraska equivalent$265,0005.20%1.73%90.3

Sources: Zillow ZHVI[1], state Departments of Revenue / Tax Foundation[2], Tax Foundation property taxes[3], BEA Regional Price Parities[4].

What Changes Your Result in South Dakota

  • South Dakota cost-of-living drag:Line-item costs in South Dakota deviate from the US mean by whatever the BEA all-items RPP deviates from 100. Weight your budget toward the state average rather than the national average.

Related Calculations for South Dakota

These calculators share inputs with the budget planner formula, so pair them to pressure-test your answer from multiple angles.

  • South Dakota emergency fund rates — emergency fund is a line in the 50/30/20.
  • South Dakota Savings Rate Calculator — savings rate emerges from the budget.
  • South Dakota's funeral cost rules — funeral costs require budget planning.
State Index · Cost of living

How does South Dakota compare to the other 49?

Sourced from primary government data. All 50 states ranked, click any state for the breakdown.

See South Dakota vs all 50 states→

How South Dakota Compares

MetricSouth DakotaNational AvgIAMNMT
Median Home Price$275,000$420,000$245,000$425,000$475,000
Property Tax Rate1.24%1.07%1.57%1.12%0.84%
State Income TaxNone4.6%*5.7%9.85%6.84%
Avg Insurance Cost$3,160/yr$1,544/yr$1,320/yr$1,320/yr$1,320/yr
Cost of Living Index88.110087105104
Household Income — p25$45,200$41,401$45,807$49,800$45,609
Household Income — p50 (median)$79,954$83,592$85,000$92,473$82,000
Household Income — p75$130,002$153,000$135,696$158,112$142,396

*Average of states that levy an income tax. 2026 estimates. [3] Income percentiles from DQYDJ/Census CPS 2024[4].

South Dakota Financial Planning Tips

Tip

Track take-home pay: no state income tax means only federal + FICA apply — one of the simpler payroll pictures in the U.S. in South Dakota.

Tip

Anchor savings goals to the South Dakota cost of living index (88.1). A national 20% savings rate needs adjustment up or down depending on local expense floors.

Tip

Use tax-advantaged accounts first: 401(k), HSA, IRA. Since South Dakota has no income tax, Roth accounts may be especially attractive — you lock in today's zero-state-tax cost forever.

Frequently Asked Questions: Budget Planner in South Dakota

How does the budget planner work in South Dakota?
The budget planner runs the standard client-side formula and layers on South Dakota's zero state income tax, 1.24% property tax rate, and cost-of-living index of 88.1. All inputs stay in your browser.
What is the cost of living in South Dakota?
South Dakota's cost of living index is 88.1 (100 = national average). Living in South Dakota is 12% less expensive than the U.S. average.
How does South Dakota's cost of living affect my financial planning?
South Dakota's cost of living index of 88.1 directly impacts budgeting, savings targets, and retirement planning. With costs 12% below average, your savings goals are more achievable, and retirement funds stretch further. The median home price of $275,000 and property taxes at 1.24% are major factors in housing affordability.
What tax advantages are available in South Dakota?
South Dakota has no state income tax, which is itself a significant tax advantage — residents keep more of their earned income, investment gains, and retirement withdrawals compared to taxed states. Focus on federal tax optimization through retirement accounts, HSAs, and applicable deductions like property taxes at 1.24%.
Is the budget planner free to use for South Dakota residents?
Yes — the Budget Planner is 100% free, with no signup required. All South Dakota-specific numbers (median home price $275,000, property tax 1.24%, no state income tax) are prefilled from public datasets. Calculations run in your browser; no data is sent to our servers.
Where does the South Dakota data on this page come from?
Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS), the Tax Foundation, BLS OEWS wage tables, Zillow ZHVI for home values, and Freddie Mac PMMS for mortgage rates. Each number is timestamped and refreshed via our hourly ETL.
How often is the South Dakota budget planner updated?
Source data is re-pulled on an hourly cadence for live series (mortgage rates) and on each new vintage release for ACS / Tax Foundation tables. Page caches revalidate every 24 hours via Next.js ISR.
Can I export results from the South Dakota budget planner?
Yes — every calculator supports CSV / PDF export from the result panel. No account required. Saves stay in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Does the budget planner replace tax or financial advice?
No. The Budget Planner provides educational estimates using public data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. For decisions with material consequences, consult a licensed professional.

More Calculators

← Back to Budget Planner

Related Calculators for South Dakota

South Dakota Compound Interest CalculatorSouth Dakota Retirement Savings CalculatorSouth Dakota Savings Goal CalculatorSouth Dakota Net Worth Calculator

Calculate for Neighboring States

Budget Planner for IowaBudget Planner for MinnesotaBudget Planner for MontanaBudget Planner for Nebraska

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South Dakota Financial Data (2026)

State Income Tax
None
Property Tax Rate
1.24%
Median Home Price
$275,000
Annual Property Tax (median home)
$3,410
Avg Homeowners Insurance
$3,160/year
Cost of Living Index
88.1 (100 = avg)
State Estate Tax
No
State Abbreviation
SD

Compare South Dakota with other states

Every number on this page reads from the same CalcFi data repository used by the Live Data pages below — the figures stay consistent.

Home Prices by State

Zillow ZHVI across all 50 states

Property Tax by State

Effective rate × ZHVI = annual bill

Household Income by State

FRED real median + percentile bands

Cost of Living by State

BEA RPP all-items + housing

No-Income-Tax States

Full list + trade-offs

Current Interest Rates

Treasury curve + PMMS + FDIC

How we compute this — methodology

CalcFi pSEO pages combine three inputs: (1) the calculator formula itself, which runs client-side so no inputs leave your browser; (2) state-level financial constants from primary public datasets; and (3) national benchmarks for comparison. The South Dakota page uses the property tax rate (1.24%), median home price ($275,000), and no state income tax from the sources listed below.

Refresh cadence:state tax brackets and minimum wage rates are reviewed annually after each state's legislative session. Property tax, median home price, insurance, and cost-of-living figures are reviewed annually against the primary sources. Income percentiles are refreshed when the Census CPS/IPUMS releases update (typically September). Page-level dateModified matches the last editorial review date, shown above.

Known limits: statewide averages mask large intra-state variance — county-level property tax and metro-level home prices differ significantly from the figures shown. For the most precise calculations, cross-check the output against your actual county assessor and the latest federal/state tax tables at filing time.

More Cities in South Dakota

Use Budget Planner for any city in South Dakota.

Sioux Falls275K metroRapid City150K metro

Sources

Every number on this page cites a primary public dataset. Last reviewed 2026-04-19 (auto-bumped by the next ISR refresh after an ETL run).

  1. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division — State Minimum Wage Laws. dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  2. Tax Foundation — State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates-2025. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  3. Composite state financial context (median home price, property tax effective rate, cost of living index) cross-referenced against the primary sources below.
  4. Census Current Population Survey / IPUMS CPS (income year 2024) via DQYDJ state tools. dqydj.com. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  5. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  6. U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates — www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  7. HUD Fair Market Rents — 50th-percentile 2-bedroom FY — www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  8. U.S. Energy Information Administration — residential electricity / natural gas / gasoline — www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  9. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  10. Zillow Research — ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index) + ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index) — www.zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  11. Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rates — www.freddiemac.com/pmms. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  12. Tax Foundation — Property Taxes Paid as % of Owner-Occupied Housing Value; State Tax Rates and Brackets; Estate/Inheritance; Social Security Taxation — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  13. NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owners, and Homeowners Tenants Insurance Report — content.naic.org/article/homeowners-insurance-report. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  14. State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  15. U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  16. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-04-19.

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