Per diem · SD · GSA FY2027 from October 1, 2026
Per diem rates in South Dakota, FY2027
All 3 South Dakota GSA areas for FY2027 lift their lodging cap only in summer and fall back to the standard figure the rest of the year.
GSA FY2027 ZIP file published · rates checked · Published by Radif Partners · Rules and data
Federal per diem for the trip
$598
Rapid City, SD · Sun, Oct 25 to Wed, Oct 28
| Lodging, 3 nights at the GSA maximum | $339 |
| M&IE before meal deductions | $259 |
| M&IE paid | $259 |
| Total | $598 |
Rates of fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027). How this is calculated.
Day by day
| Day | Lodging | M&IE rate | Share | Meals off | M&IE paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 25 FY2027 | $113 | $74 | 75% | – | $55.50 |
| Mon, Oct 26 FY2027 | $113 | $74 | 100% | – | $74 |
| Tue, Oct 27 FY2027 | $113 | $74 | 100% | – | $74 |
| Wed, Oct 28 FY2027 | – | $74 | 75% | – | $55.50 |
- GSA areas above the standard rate
- 3
- Highest lodging maximum
- $173
- Where
- Rapid City
- Everywhere else
- $113 + $68
South Dakota's federal per diem is the standard $113 of lodging and $68 of M&IE almost everywhere, Sioux Falls included, and only three groups of counties pay more, and only in the warm months. Rapid City (Pennington County) reaches $173 in June, July and August 2027, Deadwood and Spearfish (Lawrence County) $168 from June to September, and Hot Springs (Fall River / Custer) $161. Outside those months all 3 areas cap lodging at $113, so the only extra is a higher M&IE. Using GSA's FY2027 table, three nights in Rapid City from July 19 to July 22, 2027 total $778; the same nights in Sioux Falls total $577, and a November 2026 visit to Rapid City $598. Travel days pay 75% of the daily meals rate.
Most of the year at the standard cap
Look at the low months of the three areas and they all print $113, the CONUS standard for FY2027. Rapid City stays there in October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May and September; Deadwood and Hot Springs in October, November, December, January, February, March, April and May. During those months a federal traveler in Pennington or Lawrence County gets the same room allowance as one in Aberdeen or Brookings. What still differs is the meals rate: $74 in Rapid City and Hot Springs and $80 in Deadwood and Spearfish, against $68 elsewhere. Over a four-night winter stay in Lawrence County that gap is worth $54.00.
Rapid City, SD: per diem for a stay
Lodging + M&IE at the federal maximum
$598
| Lodging: 3 × $113 | $339 |
| M&IE: 2 travel days at $55.50 | $111 |
| M&IE: 2 full days at $74 | $148 |
Lodging taxes on top; provided meals are deducted in the full calculator.
Deadwood and Spearfish: a shorter season, a higher cap
In FY2026 Lawrence County paid $140 across October, May, June, July, August and September, a long season with a modest cap. FY2027 shortens it to June, July, August and September and raises the cap to $168, so October and May now fall back to $113. A trip to Spearfish in late May 2027 is thus cheaper on paper than it was a year earlier, while a July one is $28 a night richer. Rapid City's summer cap rose $15, and its September went back to the low figure. Hot Springs kept its $161 summer cap unchanged.
Sioux Falls and the other standard-rate cities
In the Census city file behind the search, Rapid City is the only South Dakota place of 15,000 people or more inside a listed county. Sioux Falls (Minnehaha County), Aberdeen, Brookings, Watertown, Yankton and Mitchell are in counties GSA does not list. They follow the standard rate all year with no seasonal change. A two-night meeting in Sioux Falls costs at most $396 at the federal maximum, M&IE included.
For the drive itself, EIA groups South Dakota in its Midwest gasoline series: $4.109 a gallon in the week of October 5, 2026. The road trip cost calculator adds fuel, lodging and meals for the full loop.
Every GSA area in South Dakota: FY2027 against FY2026
| GSA area | Counties or limits | Lodging FY2027 | M&IE | Lodging FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | Pennington | $113 to $173 | $74 | $110 to $158 |
| Deadwood / Spearfish | Lawrence | $113 to $168 | $80 | $110 to $140 |
| Hot Springs | Fall River / Custer | $113 to $161 | $74 | $110 to $161 |
| Rest of the state | All other counties | $113 | $68 | $110 |