City comparison
Montgomery, AL 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 1.1% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $101,100 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 $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Montgomery, 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 Montgomery, AL to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by −1.0%, purely from prices.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (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
| Montgomery, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,058 in Sioux Falls | $98,953 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/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 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
65 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Montgomery, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
72 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 Montgomery, AL to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Montgomery → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $50,040 | $49,516 (−16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $101,040 | $99,982 (−9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $80,920 | $80,073 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $75,350 | $74,561 (−6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.