City comparison
Durham, NC vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 7.7% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $107,700 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Sioux Falls, SD ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,886 in Sioux Falls | $107,659 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
93 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Durham → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $50,040 | $53,872 (+4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $101,040 | $108,778 (−19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,920 | $87,117 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $75,350 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.