City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 10.6% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $110,600 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Sioux Falls, SD ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Las Vegas, NV | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,437 in Sioux Falls | $110,575 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
39 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Las Vegas → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $103,670 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $101,040 | $111,725 (−14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $80,920 | $89,477 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $75,350 | $83,318 (−19.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.