City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Omaha, NE are 1.4% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $101,400 in Omaha, NE to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Omaha, NE to Sioux Falls, SD ($107,501 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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
| Omaha, NE | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,607 in Sioux Falls | $101,412 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
73 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Omaha, NE
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Omaha → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $61,722 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $74,678 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $89,508 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $106,437 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $125,776 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $50,040 | $50,747 (−19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $101,040 | $102,467 (−18.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $80,920 | $82,063 (+6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $75,350 | $76,414 (−9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.