Housing decision brief
Bennett County, SD Housing Market
Bennett County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
26th lowest home value out of 66 South Dakota counties with data | 14th lowest rent out of 66
Median home value
$138,600
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$616/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$628/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.1x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$12/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $30,269 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$138,600 median home value is 11% below South Dakota county median
Lower rent
$616/mo is 16% below South Dakota county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 94.1 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$44,569 median income is 36% below South Dakota county median
Health context
Health score is 13.8 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $30,269, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Bennett County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $138,600 | $156,450 | $281,900 | 11% favorable11% below South Dakota county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $616 | $730 | $1,163 | 16% favorable16% below South Dakota county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $628 | $781 | $1,672 | 20% favorable20% below South Dakota county median |
Median household income | $44,569 | $70,046 | $74,755 | 36% pressure36% below South Dakota county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.03% | 1.08% | 1.02% | 5% favorable5% below South Dakota county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 17% favorable19.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$19,929
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$17,655
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Bennett County is affordable. The median rent is $616/month against a median household income of $44,569, putting rent at 16.6% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Bennett County pay $616/month on average, compared to $628/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 2%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $24,640/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $26,914/year. With a median household income of $44,569, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Bennett County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Bennett County sits 9% more expensive than Jerauld County ($565/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory County, SD | $129,000 | $614/mo | Same-state comparison near $129,000 home value and $614/mo rent. |
| Tyrrell County, NC | $138,400 | $612/mo | Out-of-state peer near $138,400 home value and $612/mo rent. |
| Roberts County, SD | $139,100 | $656/mo | Same-state comparison near $139,100 home value and $656/mo rent. |
| St. Clair County, MO | $142,500 | $607/mo | Out-of-state peer near $142,500 home value and $607/mo rent. |
| Union County, NM | $135,900 | $650/mo | Out-of-state peer near $135,900 home value and $650/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $30,269 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Bennett County
Is Bennett County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Bennett County?
How much income do you need for housing in Bennett County?
What should I double-check before moving to Bennett County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.