City comparison
New Haven, CT 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 New Haven, CT are 15.4% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $115,400 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Sioux Falls, SD ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- 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
| New Haven, CT | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,679 in Sioux Falls | $115,368 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
37 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, New Haven → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $136,590 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $101,040 | $116,568 (−12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $80,920 | $93,356 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $75,350 | $86,930 (−16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.