Fort Pierre, SD vs Lake Madison, SD

There is a significant gap in the cost of living between these two cities. Fort Pierre is 20.4% cheaper than Lake Madison. With a cost index of 72 vs 90, the difference would have a meaningful impact on a household's monthly budget. Someone relocating from Fort Pierre to Lake Madison should plan for substantially higher expenses across most categories.

On the housing front, median rent in Fort Pierre is $880/month compared to $595/month in Lake Madison — a 48% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Lake Madison has cheaper rent, Fort Pierre actually has lower median home values ($166,700 vs $496,600).

Median household income in Fort Pierre is $74,732 compared to $116,648 in Lake Madison (-35.9%). While Lake Madison is more expensive, its higher salaries more than compensate — residents there may actually end up with more disposable income. Looking at affordability, residents of Fort Pierre spend roughly 14.1% of their income on rent, more than the 6.1% in Lake Madison.

Climate-wise, both cities share similar average temperatures (47°F vs 45.1°F). Lake Madison receives more rainfall at 29.6" per year compared to 20.2" in Fort Pierre.