Property Taxes in South Dakota

Effective Rate

South Dakota's real average effective property tax rate for 2026 is approximately 1.06%–1.09% of assessed home value (most sources cluster around 1.08%-1.09%), which is notably above the ~0.99% national average. This places South Dakota roughly in the middle of the pack nationally (around #18-20 among states) for property tax burden, despite having no state income tax. Rates vary enormously by county — from a low of about 0.436% effective rate in Oglala Lakota County to a high of about 2.226% in Todd County — so a homeowner's actual burden depends heavily on location. Note: as of 2026, new state laws (from the 2025 legislative session, e.g., Senate Bill 121) are beginning to redirect county sales tax revenue toward reducing owner-occupied property tax bills, though most homeowners won't see this reflected until bills arriving in early 2027.

Example: Estimates vary by data source and home-value assumptions, but a representative real figure: the median South Dakota homeowner pays roughly $1,785–$2,590 per year on a median home valued between about $166,000 and $237,000 (effective rate ~1.09%); some broader estimates using a higher average home value put the typical bill around $2,724–$2,904/year (about $504 above the national median bill of $2,400). County-level medians range from just $199/year in Oglala Lakota County to $3,822/year in Lincoln County.

Exemptions