City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Baton Rouge, LA (90.8) and Sioux Falls, SD (90.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA goes as far as $99,800 in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Baton Rouge, LA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +0.2%, purely from prices.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,836 in Sioux Falls | $100,164 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
69 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Baton Rouge, LA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Baton Rouge → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $50,040 | $50,122 (−15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $101,040 | $101,206 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $80,920 | $81,053 (+10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $75,350 | $75,474 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.