Moving from North Dakota to South Dakota
North Dakota to South Dakota is a move of about 260 miles. Median rent is $946 a month in South Dakota and $954 in North Dakota, and the median home is $257,400 against $249,900. South Dakota has no state income tax, against up to 2.50% in North Dakota. Property tax runs 1.06% of home value in South Dakota and 0.99% in North Dakota.
Moving to South Dakota costs
About the same
North Dakota and South Dakota work out within $50/mo of each other, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
State income tax is what separates these two states
Of everything that changes when you move from North Dakota to South Dakota, state income tax moves the most: about $27 a month less, which is most of the whole difference.
North Dakota vs South Dakota at a glance
| North Dakota | South Dakota | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $249,900 | $257,400 |
| Median rent | $954/mo | $946/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 2.50% | No state income tax |
| Property tax rate | 0.99% | 1.06% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 96 | 95 |
| Utilities | 74 | 80 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: North Dakota vs South Dakota
| Monthly | ND | SD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $954 | $946 | -$8 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $27 | $0 | -$27 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $69 | $59 | -$10 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,755 | $1,750 | -$5 |
| Utilities | $301 | $325 | +$24 |
| Total | -$26 | ||
Cost to move from North Dakota to South Dakota
$1,400 to $3,400
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $350 to $600, against roughly $50 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 1-day trip yourself.
These are statewide figures. Fargo is not North Dakota-average and Sioux Falls is not South Dakota-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in South Dakota, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.