Brandon, SD — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

Minnehaha County · Sioux Falls · population 10,837

Small-town feel
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Brandon stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $390,341
1-year +1.2%
5-yr CAGR +5.5%
vs 5-yr peak -0.1%
Population -0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-03$390k$199k$268k$337k$406k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
70/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 31.4
Rent

At a 31.4 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Brandon for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
56 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
89 · w18%
Population growth
38 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Brandon has held up across the cycle: home values at $390,341 with +5.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Brandon's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Brandon

Brandon is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, with an estimated population of 10,837. It anchors the Sioux Falls metro area. The median home value in Brandon is $390,341 as of 2026-04, up 1.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Brandon average $1,035 per month. The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Healthy 5-year run: +5.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
Held the highs: currently -0.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

Bear case

Flat or shrinking population: -0.5% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Minnehaha County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Minnehaha County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Brandon

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
27° / 8°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
86° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
218
~60% of year
Annual precip
23″ rain
38″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Brandon listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Sioux Falls area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
67%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$69,500
South Dakota state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareAgricultureFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Brandon

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all South Dakota cities →    Browse best-of lists →