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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 30 largest places in South Dakota, Dakota Dunes has the highest average pay in its county ($73,276), followed by North Sioux City and Harrisburg. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 30 places in South Dakota that we cover, the median is $57,255 and the average $57,832; the figure runs from $73,276 (Dakota Dunes) to $45,795 (Belle Fourche). That is a spread of 1.6 times between the two ends.
The first five are Dakota Dunes, North Sioux City, Harrisburg, Tea, Canton. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | County average annual pay ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dakota Dunes (unincorporated) | Union County | $73,276 | 3,936 | $136,125 | $1,225 |
| 2 | North Sioux City | Union County | $73,276 | 3,045 | $71,908 | $1,098 |
| 3 | Harrisburg | Lincoln County | $65,125 | 8,519 | $108,724 | $1,362 |
| 4 | Tea | Lincoln County | $65,125 | 6,786 | $120,139 | $1,220 |
| 5 | Canton | Lincoln County | $65,125 | 3,033 | $60,850 | $673 |
| 6 | Sioux Falls | Minnehaha County | $65,100 | 201,469 | $75,970 | $1,035 |
| 7 | Brandon | Minnehaha County | $65,100 | 10,996 | $110,806 | $976 |
| 8 | Dell Rapids | Minnehaha County | $65,100 | 3,905 | $100,170 | $962 |
| 9 | Hartford | Minnehaha County | $65,100 | 3,478 | $99,893 | $938 |
| 10 | Pierre | Hughes County | $61,739 | 13,948 | $77,672 | $983 |
| 11 | Rapid City | Pennington County | $57,286 | 77,946 | $70,870 | $1,109 |
| 12 | Box Elder | Pennington County | $57,286 | 12,902 | $73,008 | $1,491 |
| 13 | Rapid Valley (unincorporated) | Pennington County | $57,286 | 6,975 | $83,208 | $1,174 |
| 14 | Sturgis | Meade County | $57,255 | 7,086 | $54,404 | $780 |
| 15 | Summerset | Meade County | $57,255 | 3,022 | $119,271 | $1,288 |
| 16 | Blackhawk (unincorporated) | Meade County | $57,255 | 2,934 | $71,993 | n/a |
| 17 | Brookings | Brookings County | $56,994 | 23,948 | $63,493 | $889 |
| 18 | Madison | Lake County | $56,802 | 6,094 | $65,593 | $981 |
| 19 | Yankton | Yankton County | $55,512 | 15,540 | $67,804 | $790 |
| 20 | Milbank | Grant County | $54,491 | 3,525 | $56,011 | $548 |
| 21 | Aberdeen | Brown County | $54,430 | 28,189 | $64,405 | $762 |
| 22 | Mitchell | Davison County | $53,296 | 15,649 | $58,620 | $851 |
| 23 | Watertown | Codington County | $52,139 | 23,044 | $69,600 | $942 |
| 24 | Hot Springs | Fall River County | $51,214 | 3,548 | $66,338 | $897 |
| 25 | Huron | Beadle County | $50,493 | 14,385 | $61,452 | $888 |
| 26 | Spearfish | Lawrence County | $50,201 | 12,930 | $65,688 | $963 |
| 27 | Lead | Lawrence County | $50,201 | 3,006 | $73,047 | $835 |
| 28 | Vermillion | Clay County | $48,924 | 11,878 | $50,456 | $764 |
| 29 | Mobridge | Walworth County | $46,774 | 2,932 | $65,357 | $953 |
| 30 | Belle Fourche | Butte County | $45,795 | 5,804 | $65,071 | $983 |
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Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. County figures describe the whole county where the city lies.
Dakota Dunes, with $73,276 (among the 30 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 30 largest places in South Dakota by population.