City comparison
Huntington, WV 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 2.5% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $102,500 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,885 a year higher in Huntington, WV 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 Huntington, WV to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by −2.4%, purely from prices.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (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
| Huntington, WV | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,498 in Sioux Falls | $97,563 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,885/yr.
61 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,885/yr.
77 Strong 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 Huntington, WV to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Huntington → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $50,040 | $48,820 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $101,040 | $98,577 (−11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $80,920 | $78,948 (+11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $75,350 | $73,513 (−9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.