City comparison
Hickory, NC 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 2.4% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $102,400 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Sioux Falls, SD ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (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
| Hickory, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,424 in Sioux Falls | $97,633 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/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 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
61 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Hickory → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | $50,040 | $48,856 (−1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $101,040 | $98,649 (−19.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $80,920 | $79,005 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $75,350 | $73,567 (−8.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.