City comparison
Jackson, MS 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 1.8% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $101,800 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,097 a month in Jackson, MS versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Jackson, MS and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Jackson, MS 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 Jackson, MS to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by −1.7%, purely from prices.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (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
| Jackson, MS | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,778 in Sioux Falls | $98,253 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
63 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Jackson, MS
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
74 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 Jackson, MS to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Jackson → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,240 | $50,040 | $49,166 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $101,040 | $99,275 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $80,920 | $79,507 (+12.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $75,350 | $74,034 (−10.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.