Groundwork

Market rankings · South Dakota

Real estate businesses in South Dakota

Every metro area, small-town market and county in South Dakota, ranked by the Groundwork market score for real estate businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
1,195
47 chain locations (4%)
Official establishments
751
+29.3% since 2019
Household spending a year
$5.1B
On rent and homeowner costs
Listings per 10k households
32.7
15% below the U.S.
Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)
98
2% below the U.S.
Rank among states
#32 of 51
Market score 43 · Lower middle

A site report maps the real estate businesses on map listings around any address in South Dakota by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

There are 1,195 real estate businesses on map listings in South Dakota as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 4% of them, against 6% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 32.7, 15% below the U.S. rate of 38.5.

At $13,945 per household (16% below the U.S. average), households in South Dakota spend about $5.1B a year on rent and homeowner costs. Housing spending per office is 2% below the U.S. figure. The spending figure is all rent and homeowner costs, a measure of housing demand, not money real estate businesses take in.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in South Dakota was 751 in 2023, up 29.3% from 2019. That is one for every 487 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 15.8% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 15 SBA-backed loans worth $5.4M have gone to businesses classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in South Dakota.

Among the 50 states and DC, South Dakota ranks #32 for real estate businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 43 (lower middle). Of the 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux City metro area scores highest (47). Of the 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Yankton area scores highest (64).

Every market in South Dakota for real estate businesses

Download the ranking (CSV)

Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South Dakota, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.

Metro areas

Metro areas reaching South Dakota, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD4715828.5112+1.0%#210 of 387
1Sioux Falls, SD-MN3854844.775+9.5%#306 of 387
2Rapid City, SD2827343.574+6.2%#377 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching South Dakota, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
1Yankton, SD641616.5191+1.5%#93 of 536
2Pierre, SD552023.4140−0.5%#199 of 536
3Mitchell, SD462421.9141+0.6%#313 of 536
4Huron, SD451519.9153+2.4%#322 of 536
5Brookings, SD394532.696+9.6%#404 of 536
6Aberdeen, SD363821.2149−1.5%#436 of 536
7Watertown, SD353326.3118+4.3%#457 of 536
8Vermillion, SD351527.0110+0.2%#458 of 536
9Spearfish, SD316251.461+14.0%#499 of 536

Counties

Counties in South Dakota, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
1Yankton County, SD591616.5191+1.5%#620 of 2,229
2Union County, SD521520.5171+3.3%#978 of 2,229
3Hughes County, SD491926.2126−0.9%#1,144 of 2,229
4Meade County, SD482420.1162+2.7%#1,171 of 2,229
5Butte County, SD481227.9115+5.5%#1,191 of 2,229
6Beadle County, SD451519.9153+2.4%#1,338 of 2,229
7Minnehaha County, SD4524929.4112+7.6%#1,354 of 2,229
8Roberts County, SD44616.6185−0.1%#1,375 of 2,229
9Brookings County, SD414532.696+9.6%#1,577 of 2,229
10Lake County, SD381225.4128−0.2%#1,726 of 2,229
11Davison County, SD372427.0113+0.6%#1,789 of 2,229
12Clay County, SD371527.0110+0.2%#1,792 of 2,229
13Lincoln County, SD35285102.235+17.5%#1,903 of 2,229
14Codington County, SD343326.3118+4.3%#1,913 of 2,229
15Brown County, SD333722.7138−1.7%#1,962 of 2,229
16Pennington County, SD2923650.963+6.6%#2,104 of 2,229
17Lawrence County, SD286251.461+14.0%#2,134 of 2,229
Oglala Lakota County, SDNot scored00.0n/a−2.3%
Charles Mix County, SDNot scored413.2231−0.5%
Todd County, SDNot scored00.0n/a−4.9%
Custer County, SDNot scored1329.2113+13.2%
Turner County, SDNot scored12.81,120+7.3%
Grant County, SDNot scored1033.0950.0%
Hutchinson County, SDNot scored13.4948−0.1%
Fall River County, SDNot scored1233.090+7.1%
Show all 66 counties
Counties in South Dakota, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score, continued
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsHousing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)Population growthU.S. rank
Bon Homme County, SDNot scored28.3361+3.8%
Moody County, SDNot scored311.7273+4.5%
Hamlin County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+11.9%
Spink County, SDNot scored416.1196−3.0%
McCook County, SDNot scored313.5250+5.2%
Tripp County, SDNot scored522.1133+1.8%
Day County, SDNot scored28.4374+0.8%
Brule County, SDNot scored315.3207+0.5%
Walworth County, SDNot scored520.7145−1.4%
Kingsbury County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+1.6%
Dewey County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+3.8%
Marshall County, SDNot scored212.1269+2.9%
Deuel County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+2.6%
Edmunds County, SDNot scored16.1543+1.0%
Gregory County, SDNot scored212.4244+1.1%
Clark County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+4.7%
Corson County, SDNot scored00.0n/a−2.8%
Lyman County, SDNot scored18.4371−0.1%
Hanson County, SDNot scored00.0n/a−0.3%
Bennett County, SDNot scored110.9247−2.6%
Hand County, SDNot scored321.4149−0.7%
Stanley County, SDNot scored17.8415+1.8%
Perkins County, SDNot scored17.6411+0.9%
Douglas County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+1.9%
Jackson County, SDNot scored112.0213−4.7%
Aurora County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+2.6%
Potter County, SDNot scored19.4336−3.8%
Sanborn County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+2.5%
Ziebach County, SDNot scored113.6223−0.1%
Miner County, SDNot scored00.0n/a−0.8%
McPherson County, SDNot scored110.9287−2.2%
Faulk County, SDNot scored223.2131+2.4%
Mellette County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+11.5%
Buffalo County, SDNot scored00.0n/a−6.8%
Jerauld County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+0.6%
Haakon County, SDNot scored114.6219−3.6%
Campbell County, SDNot scored00.0n/a−0.1%
Sully County, SDNot scored115.7208+1.9%
Hyde County, SDNot scored119.9161−4.6%
Harding County, SDNot scored00.0n/a+2.2%
Jones County, SDNot scored129.2105−1.5%

Markets with fewer than 5 real estate businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many real estate businesses are in South Dakota?

As of September 2026, map listings count 1,195 real estate businesses in South Dakota. 47 of them (4%) are chain locations. The listings count real estate agents and brokers, property managers, mortgage brokers and lenders, and home inspectors. Official counts show 751 businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in 2023, up 29.3% from 2019. Another 3,227 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.

How much do households in South Dakota spend on rent and homeowner costs?

About $5.1B a year, or $13,945 per household. That is 16% below the U.S. average (an index of 84, where 100 is the U.S. average). For the 1,195 real estate businesses on map listings, housing spending per office is 2% below the U.S. figure. That figure is all rent and homeowner costs, used as a measure of housing demand; it is not money real estate businesses take in. It is estimated from the incomes of the 365,544 households in South Dakota and national spending patterns by income.

How does South Dakota compare with the U.S. for real estate businesses?

South Dakota has 32.7 real estate businesses per 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 38.5. The index of housing spending per office is 98, where 100 is the U.S. At the U.S. ratio of real estate businesses to household spending, South Dakota would have about 1,177, against 1,195 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 487 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. The official count rose 29.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +15.8% for the U.S.

Which market in South Dakota has the highest market score for real estate businesses?

Among 3 scored metro areas in or partly in South Dakota, the Sioux City metro area scores highest, at 47 (lower middle). Among 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Dakota, the Yankton area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 17 scored counties in South Dakota, Yankton County scores highest, at 59 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. South Dakota scores 43 for real estate businesses (lower middle), #32 of the 50 states and DC.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in South Dakota. It maps the real estate businesses on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.