Willow Lake, SD Housing Affordability Index
Willow Lake, South Dakota has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 193.8 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 90th most affordable of 263 scored South Dakota cities, compared with 111.3 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $149,000 home with 20% down, the South Dakota average 30-year fixed rate of 7.26% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $814, or 13% of the city’s $72,875 median household income.
The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Willow Lake is updated every night from live South Dakota mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.
Willow Lake is 82.4 points above the South Dakota score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the South Dakota index
View Willow Lake Mortgage RatesSee What You Can Afford in Willow Lake, South Dakota
Use this Willow Lake, South Dakota home affordability calculator to see how much house you can afford at today’s South Dakota average 30-year mortgage rate of 7.26%. A household earning the Willow Lake median income of $72,875, with no other debts and $30,000 down, can afford a home of about $215,465, compared with a median home value of $149,000. Buying the median priced home with 20% down takes a household income of about $45,500 once property tax and insurance are counted.
| Loan amount | $185,465 |
| Principal & interest | $1,266/mo |
| Property tax | $268/mo |
| Home insurance | $90/mo |
| PMI | $77/mo |
| Total monthly payment | $1,700/mo |
How much house can you afford in Willow Lake?
Most lenders use two limits. Your housing payment, including principal, interest, property tax, homeowners insurance and any PMI, should stay under about 28% of your gross monthly income, and all of your monthly debt payments together should stay under about 36%. The calculator takes whichever limit is lower, then works backward from that payment to the most expensive home it covers at the current rate.
In Willow Lake, property taxes run about 1.49% of a home’s value each year, based on the Census median tax bill, which counts against the same monthly budget as the mortgage. Each quarter point move in mortgage rates changes the price you can afford by roughly $3,484 for a median income household. A larger down payment, paying down other debts, or a lower rate from a local lender all raise your budget.
What It Takes to Buy in Willow Lake
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Willow Lake, South Dakota. The rate is the South Dakota average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.
How Willow Lake Ranks in South Dakota
Cite the Willow Lake Score
Explore Further
Scores update each morning, computed from rate data captured the previous night. Score of 100 = national average at a 6.5% reference rate.
