South Dakota · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Union County, SD

Prices around Union County, SD run 13.5% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $89,636 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,154 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $46,160 a year.

Union County, SD at a glance

Median household income

$89,636$7,470 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,154HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)86.5-13.5% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.4¢per kWh · EIA Residential SD
Population17,081Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Union County, SD?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,154Monthly market rent
Share of gross income15.4%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$46,160To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$2,241At 30% of $89,636
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Union County, SD? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Union County, SD, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$796$9,552$31,84010.7%
1-Bedroom Apartment$925$11,100$37,00012.4%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,154$13,848$46,16015.4%
3-Bedroom Home$1,386$16,632$55,44018.6%
4-Bedroom Home$1,528$18,336$61,12020.5%

Rent in Union County, SD, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Union County, SD

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $89,636 a year ($7,470 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$3,735/moRent ($1,154 2-BR), utilities (~$138/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$2,241/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,494/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $89,636 leaves after South Dakota taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and South Dakota tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$89,636
$35,000$180,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$89,636
Net 80%
Fed 12%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$71,889After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,991Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,765Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$10,890 / yr
South Dakota state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,857 / yr

Living in Union County, SD: common questions

What is the median household income in Union County, SD?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Union County, SD is $89,636 per year (approximately $7,470 per month).

What is the average rent in Union County, SD?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $796 for a studio, $925 for one bedroom, $1,154 for two, $1,386 for three and $1,528 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Union County, SD expensive to live in?

Prices there run 13.5% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 86.5, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Union County, SD?

To keep a $1,154 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $46,160 a year, or $3,847 a month. That is 51% of what the typical household in Union County, SD earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Union County, SD?

On the local median income of $89,636 ($7,470 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $3,735 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $2,241 for everything else and $1,494 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,154 takes 31% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Union County, SD?

Homes in South Dakota paid 15.4¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $138. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.