City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 16.3% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $116,300 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Sioux Falls, SD ($120,348 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,971 in Sioux Falls | $116,318 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Anchorage → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,722 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,678 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,508 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,437 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $125,776 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $50,040 | $58,205 (−26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $101,040 | $117,528 (+13.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $80,920 | $94,124 (+14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $75,350 | $87,645 (−24.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.