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Place dossier plate
SheetSD-NORTH-SIOUX-CITY-SD · North Sioux City, SD 3,018 pop · income 58th pct
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 North Sioux City
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest North Sioux City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Winner · lowest
47,132
Winner · lowest
47,132 median HH income
36.7% of the leader · rank #1
North Sioux C… · this city
76,481
North Sioux C… · this city
76,481 median HH income
59.6% of the leader · rank #2
Bonnie Brae · near
76,483
Bonnie Brae · near
76,483 median HH income
59.6% of the leader · rank #3
Grand River · near
76,488
Grand River · near
76,488 median HH income
59.6% of the leader · rank #4
Hilmar-Irwin · near
76,492
Hilmar-Irwin · near
76,492 median HH income
59.6% of the leader · rank #5
Ullin · near
76,492
Ullin · near
76,492 median HH income
59.6% of the leader · rank #6
Moss Beach · highest
128,333
Moss Beach · highest
128,333 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 North Sioux City 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: 3,018.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
North Sioux City - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, North Sioux City lands in the 58th percentile for household income and the 41st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
58th
percentile, household income
52nd
percentile, home value
13th
percentile, median rent
41st
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: North Sioux City, SD
North Sioux City is a small town in South Dakota, home to 3,018 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $76,481 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.1%. Home values in North Sioux City run a median of $234,500, and the median resident age is 33.8 years. About 27.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 6 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 70% from five years earlier. North Sioux City reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1672.7 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in South Dakota run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, South Dakota scores 88.6 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $990 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in South Dakota run around $200, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 26.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of North Sioux City'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 work and mobility to schools and households to comparison shortlist to reported crime to housing and income to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For North Sioux City, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, matched public-school count, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in North Sioux City?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 90.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
What does the education layer cover for North Sioux City?
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 27.8% 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.
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.
Which cities make useful reference points for North Sioux City?
Within South Dakota, the closest population matches are Lead (2,997 residents, $57,348 income); Summerset (2,978 residents, $115,197 income); Canton (3,060 residents, $65,500 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Tonkawa, OK (3,018 residents); Sisters, OR (3,018 residents); Malabar, FL (3,017 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.
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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in North Sioux City?
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.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1672.7 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 27% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
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.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in North Sioux City?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 9.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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.
Household income
$76,481
Home value
$234,500
Value / income
3.1×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Is North Sioux City growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -15 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 6 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-0.5%
2025 estimate
3,036
2020 estimate
3,051
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 9.1% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.6 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, South Dakota average
C
City profile score · North Sioux City, SD
59/100
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.
Household income C
$76,481
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share C-
27.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime D
197 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate D
9.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
North Sioux City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 91/100 (A+) · 88.6 index
Household income: 56/100 (C) · $76,481
Bachelor's+ share: 54/100 (C-) · 27.8%
Violent crime: 48/100 (D) · 197 /100k
Poverty rate: 43/100 (D) · 9.1%
Where North Sioux City sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
North Sioux City'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 - North Sioux City highlighted among 27 peers.Read the chart values
North Sioux City, SD (this city): home $234,500, crime 1,673/100k
Tonkawa, OK : home $83,000, crime 1,939/100k
Oak Ridge North, TX : home $282,100, crime 2,549/100k
Lead, SD : home $192,800, crime 557/100k
Summerset, SD : home $337,900, crime 632/100k
Mobridge, SD : home $122,000, crime 777/100k
Winner, SD : home $124,000, crime 1,064/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does North Sioux City compare to other US cities?
Here's how North Sioux City stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income58% higher than other cities
Home value52% pricier than other cities
Median rent13% pricier than other cities
Safety41% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just South Dakota and the picture shifts: North Sioux City ranks #21 of 34 South Dakota cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares North Sioux City 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 North Sioux City near the bottom of South Dakota's cities
Among the 303 South Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, North Sioux City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares North Sioux City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#65 of 285
77th percentile in South Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 303
0th percentile in South Dakota
Median Home Value
#37 of 263
86th percentile in South Dakota
Poverty Rate
#107 of 302
64th percentile in South Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#69 of 303
77th 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
58th percentile nationally for median household income · 41st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
North Sioux City's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
North Sioux City'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 North Sioux City's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$234,50048th percentilemore affordable than 48% 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
North Sioux City's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,036 of 15,516
More affordable than 55% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,895 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.1×, North Sioux City sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,036 of 15,516 and #5,895 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
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
$76,481North Sioux City, SD median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context North Sioux City, 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 North Sioux City, SD.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)27.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)9.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,018
Median Income
$76,481
Median Home Value
$234,500
Median Age
33.8
Poverty Rate
9.1%
Labor force participation
63.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
27.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1672.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
196.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1475.9
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.
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
North Sioux City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,051 residents
2021
3,019 residents
2022
3,037 residents
2023
3,052 residents
2024
3,064 residents
2025
3,036 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
20
20
0
$5.5M
2020
18
18
0
$10.0M
2021
31
22
9
$13.3M
2022
38
17
21
$10.8M
2023
16
9
7
$6.0M
2024
6
6
0
$2.7M
Permit volume decreased 70% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
90.7%
Carpool
6.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
1.2%
Other
1.3%
Based on 1,595 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 North Sioux City. 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 North Sioux City 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 North Sioux City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How North Sioux City 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, 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.