Housing decision brief
Jackson County, SD Housing Market
Jackson 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.
10th lowest home value out of 66 South Dakota counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 66
Median home value
$117,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$442/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$634/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
26.7%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$192/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$117,300 median home value is 30% below South Dakota county median
Lower rent
$442/mo is 42% below South Dakota county median
Rent burden below pressure line
26.70% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 89.9 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$35,417 median income is 51% below South Dakota county median
Health context
Health score is 8.9 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.
Best Fit For
- 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
- 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 Jackson 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. | $117,300 | $166,500 | $281,900 | 30% favorable30% below South Dakota county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $442 | $762 | $1,163 | 42% favorable42% below South Dakota county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $634 | $799 | $1,672 | 21% favorable21% below South Dakota county median |
Median household income | $35,417 | $72,653 | $74,755 | 51% pressure51% below South Dakota county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.65% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 35% favorable35% below South Dakota county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 26.70% | 23.00% | N/A | 16% pressure26.70% 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
+$17,737
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$8,246
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Jackson County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $460/month in gross rent, with 26.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
At $460/month rent versus $593/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $133/month cheaper , a 22% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $18,400/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $25,414/year. With a median household income of $26,686, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 26.0% of renter households in Jackson County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within South Dakota, Jackson County is less affordable than Buffalo County by roughly 14% ($460/mo vs $535/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County, SD | $117,800 | $540/mo | Same-state comparison near $117,800 home value and $540/mo rent. |
| Presidio County, TX | $121,300 | $448/mo | Out-of-state peer near $121,300 home value and $448/mo rent. |
| Elliott County, KY | $123,500 | $432/mo | Out-of-state peer near $123,500 home value and $432/mo rent. |
| Martin County, KY | $86,900 | $450/mo | Out-of-state peer near $86,900 home value and $450/mo rent. |
| Zavala County, TX | $98,800 | $548/mo | Out-of-state peer near $98,800 home value and $548/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Jackson County
Is Jackson County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Jackson County?
How much income do you need for housing in Jackson County?
What should I double-check before moving to Jackson County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.