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Place dossier plate
SheetSD-SIOUX-FALLS-SD · Sioux Falls, SD 197,642 pop · income 56th pct · 47 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Sioux Falls
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Sioux Falls on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Sunrise Manor · lowest
55,034
Sunrise Manor · lowest
55,034 median HH income
45.9% of the leader · rank #1
Lincoln · near
74,712
Lincoln · near
74,712 median HH income
62.3% of the leader · rank #2
Woodlawn · near
74,712
Woodlawn · near
74,712 median HH income
62.3% of the leader · rank #3
Sioux Falls · this city
74,714
Sioux Falls · this city
74,714 median HH income
62.3% of the leader · rank #4
Lynn · near
74,715
Lynn · near
74,715 median HH income
62.3% of the leader · rank #5
Garland · near
74,717
Garland · near
74,717 median HH income
62.3% of the leader · rank #6
Huntington Be… · highest
119,885
Huntington Be… · highest
119,885 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Sioux Falls on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 197,642.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Sioux Falls - the verdict
Sioux Falls ranks in the 56th percentile for household income and the 11th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
56th
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
13th
percentile, median rent
11th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Sioux Falls, SD
South Dakota's Sioux Falls is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 197,642 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Sioux Falls households earn a median of $74,714 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.7%. Home values in Sioux Falls run a median of $271,400, and the median resident age is 35.1 years. About 37.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 72.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 2,119 residential building permits were authorized in Sioux Falls (Rapid Growth), up 28% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Sioux Falls's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3442.0 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 47.3°F with 27.9 inches of precipitation per year and 45.3 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in South Dakota run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts South Dakota at 88.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $990 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $200 across South Dakota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 26.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Sioux Falls's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from within-city variation to housing and income to climate and hazard context to work and mobility to schools and households to reported crime to population change to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Sioux Falls, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What can 47 Census tracts reveal inside Sioux Falls?
PlainCities matches 47 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
How far does income reach against housing in Sioux Falls?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What physical conditions frame life in Sioux Falls?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 47.3°F, with 27.9 inches of precipitation and 45.3 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for South Dakota is 26.8 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Sioux Falls?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within South Dakota, the closest population matches are Rapid City (76,836 residents, $65,712 income); Aberdeen (28,297 residents, $63,715 income); Brookings (23,710 residents, $61,979 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Grand Rapids, MI (197,768 residents); Overland Park, KS (197,199 residents); Montgomery, AL (198,440 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Sioux Falls?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 79.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
79.4%
Work from home
9.4%
Public transit
0.7%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 109,690 workers age 16+.
What does the education layer cover for Sioux Falls?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 52 public schools within the city match. 37.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
6.7%
Bachelor's degree+
37.4%
Matched public schools
52
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Sioux Falls?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3442.0 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 51% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
3442.0
Violent rate
526.7
Property rate
2915.2
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is Sioux Falls growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +20,295 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +10.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 2,119 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
193,453
2025 estimate
213,748
Period change
+10.5%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 6.7% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.6 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average
C
City profile score · Sioux Falls, SD
56/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
88.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share B
37.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C-
$74,714
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C-
6.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
527 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Sioux Falls profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 91/100 (A+) · 88.6 index
Bachelor's+ share: 71/100 (B) · 37.4%
Household income: 54/100 (C-) · $74,714
Poverty rate: 54/100 (C-) · 6.7%
Violent crime: 14/100 (F) · 527 /100k
Where Sioux Falls sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Sioux Falls's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Sioux Falls highlighted among 12 peers.Read the chart values
Sioux Falls, SD (this city): home $271,400, crime 3,442/100k
Grand Rapids, MI : home $225,500, crime 3,391/100k
Overland Park, KS : home $384,400, crime 1,946/100k
Montgomery, AL : home $148,500, crime 2,830/100k
Grand Prairie, TX : home $272,200, crime 1,822/100k
Huntington Beach, CA : home $1,047,300, crime 2,196/100k
Rapid City, SD : home $270,000, crime 4,511/100k
Aberdeen, SD : home $205,500, crime 1,678/100k
Brookings, SD : home $243,600, crime 1,262/100k
Watertown, SD : home $212,300, crime 1,328/100k
Mitchell, SD : home $182,000, crime 2,230/100k
Yankton, SD : home $202,300, crime 2,242/100k
How does Sioux Falls compare to other US cities?
Where Sioux Falls sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income56% higher than other cities
Home value60% pricier than other cities
Median rent13% pricier than other cities
Safety11% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at South Dakota, Sioux Falls ranks #32 of 34 South Dakota cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Sioux Falls against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to South Dakota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
South Dakota-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Sioux Falls near the bottom of South Dakota's cities
Among the 303 South Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sioux Falls ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sioux Falls only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#75 of 285
74th percentile in South Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 303
0th percentile in South Dakota
Median Home Value
#26 of 263
90th percentile in South Dakota
Poverty Rate
#141 of 302
53rd percentile in South Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#28 of 303
91st percentile in South Dakota
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within South Dakota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
56th percentile nationally for median household income · 11th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Sioux Falls's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Sioux Falls's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Sioux Falls's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$271,40040th percentilemore affordable than 40% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Sioux Falls's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,482 of 15,516
More affordable than 39% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#249 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 3.6×, Sioux Falls sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,482 of 15,516 and #249 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$74,714Sioux Falls, SD median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Sioux Falls, SD median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Sioux Falls, SD.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)37.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)72.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
197,642
Median Income
$74,714
Median Home Value
$271,400
Median Age
35.1
Poverty Rate
6.7%
Labor force participation
72.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
37.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3442.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
526.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2915.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
47.3°F
Annual Precipitation
27.9"
Annual Snowfall
45.3"
Schools
Total Schools
52
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Sioux Falls's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
193,453 residents
2021
196,826 residents
2022
201,731 residents
2023
205,631 residents
2024
209,886 residents
2025
213,748 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
2,119
housing units authorized
Single-Family
880
detached homes
Multifamily
1,239
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,656
1,013
643
$279.3M
2020
2,767
1,190
1,577
$418.6M
2021
3,132
1,313
1,819
$525.0M
2022
4,465
1,036
3,429
$716.3M
2023
2,736
750
1,986
$422.9M
2024
2,119
880
1,239
$383.2M
Permit volume increased 28% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
79.4%
Carpool
7.7%
Public Transit
0.7%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
9.4%
Other
0.9%
Based on 109,690 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
South Dakota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $200
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across South Dakota at $200 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are South Dakota statewide averages, not a meter reading for Sioux Falls. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
South Dakota's BEA cost-of-living index is 88.6 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Sioux Falls is $990/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to South Dakota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 26.8 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a South Dakota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Sioux Falls sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Sioux Falls compares to similar-size South Dakota cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.