South Dakota
Is rent cheap in South Dakota? Report shows state is one of the most affordable for renters
Homebuyers are canceling contracts at record rates
Discover why homebuyers are canceling contracts at a record rate, impacting a housing market filled with uncertainty.
The median rent in South Dakota is second-lowest among the 50 states, according to a new Construction Coverage report.
South Dakota’s median rent is $1,185 a month, less expensive than in all but one state, West Virginia, according to the report, which is based on federal housing data. Still, the median rent in South Dakota has increased in recent years – in 2024, it was $1,069 a month and the cheapest of any state.
The report also compares median rents in more than 380 cities, including Sioux Falls, which ranked among the least expensive at $1,257 a month.
The year-over-year rent increases nationwide have slowed after hitting a peak of nearly 9% in early 2023, dropping to less than 4% in late 2025, according to the report.
“While this slowdown marks a return to a more stable environment, renters continue to face steep housing costs due to the compounding effect of previous rent hikes,” the report says.
Here are cities and states where the median rent is most and least expensive.
What states have the highest median rent?
- California, $2,895
- Hawaii, $2,869
- Massachusetts, $2,595
- New York, $2,592
- New Jersey, $2,373
- Washington, $2,237
- Florida, $2,220
- Maryland, $2,195
- New Hampshire, $2,143
- Connecticut, $2,127
What states have the lowest median rent?
- West Virginia, $1,126
- South Dakota, $1,185
- North Dakota, $1,201
- Mississippi, $1,202
- Iowa, $1,212
- Arkansas, $1,231
- Wyoming, $1,236
- Kentucky, $1,239
- Kansas, $1,247
- Missouri, $1,275
How does the median rent in Sioux Falls compare with other cities?
The median rent in the Sioux Falls metro area is $1,257 a month, which ranks 310th out of 387 metro areas included in the report.
That’s an increase from 2024, when the Sioux Falls metro area’s median rent was $1,094 a month, the report says.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Community Foundation is encouraging nonprofits to apply for funding this June.
Beth Massa and Ginger Niemann joined us live with what you need to know before applying.
Watch the full interview above.
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