City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sioux Falls, SD are 1.5% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $101,500 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Sioux Falls, SD ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,495 in Sioux Falls | $98,527 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
64 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Columbus, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Columbus → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $50,040 | $49,303 (−19.6%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $101,040 | $99,552 (−14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,920 | $79,728 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $75,350 | $74,240 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.