?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Brookings, SD vs Sioux Falls, SD

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Brookings needs about $88,500 in Sioux Falls to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sioux Falls, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $81,500 in Brookings.

A few differences

Brookings vs Sioux Falls · facet by facet
FacetBrookings, SDSioux Falls, SD
Median home price$265,500$292,400
2-bedroom rent$868/mo$1,060/mo
Property tax rate1.17%1.17%
State & local income tax0%0%
Sales tax6.1%6.1%
Cost of living index8185
Groceries index9696
Utilities$140/mo$140/mo
Median household income$63,493$75,970
Unemployment rate2%2%
Crime index42/10042/100
School rating6.0/106.0/10
Sunny days / year210 days210 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Brookings, SD · Sioux Falls, SD
Questions & answers
Is Brookings cheaper than Sioux Falls?
Brookings has the lower day-to-day cost index (81 vs 85 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Sioux Falls equals $85,000 in Brookings?
A household earning $85,000 in Brookings needs about $88,500 in Sioux Falls to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sioux Falls lifestyle costs about $81,500 in Brookings.