City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 2.7% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $102,700 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,382 a year higher in Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +2.7%, purely from prices.
- Louisville, KY: 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
| Louisville, KY | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,375 in Sioux Falls | $102,696 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,382/yr.
77 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,382/yr.
61 Fair 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 Louisville, KY to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Louisville → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $50,040 | $51,389 (−16.6%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $101,040 | $103,764 (−5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $80,920 | $83,101 (+8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $75,350 | $77,381 (−8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.