City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 2.2% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $102,200 in New Orleans, LA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA 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 New Orleans, LA to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +2.2%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,877 in Sioux Falls | $102,169 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
76 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → New Orleans, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
62 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 New Orleans, LA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, New Orleans → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $50,040 | $51,125 (−15.3%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $101,040 | $103,232 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $80,920 | $82,675 (+6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $75,350 | $76,985 (−5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.