City comparison
Mobile, AL 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 Sioux Falls, SD are 2.9% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $102,900 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Mobile, AL 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 Mobile, AL to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by −2.8%, purely from prices.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (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
| Mobile, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,875 in Sioux Falls | $97,205 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/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 | 15% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
60 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
78 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
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 Mobile, AL to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Mobile → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,810 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $101,040 | $98,216 (−19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $80,920 | $78,658 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $75,350 | $73,244 (−7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.