City comparison
McAllen, TX 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 5.5% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $105,500 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 $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in 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 McAllen, TX to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by −5.2%, purely from prices.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (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
| McAllen, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,514 in Sioux Falls | $94,774 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 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 McAllen, TX to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, McAllen → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $50,040 | $47,425 (−24.9%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $101,040 | $95,760 (−17.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $80,920 | $76,691 (+19.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $75,350 | $71,413 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.