City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 2.7% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $102,700 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Sioux Falls, SD ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,377 in Sioux Falls | $102,693 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
77 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Huntsville → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $50,040 | $51,388 (−17.4%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $101,040 | $103,761 (−19.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $80,920 | $83,099 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $75,350 | $77,379 (+0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.