City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 14.0% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $114,000 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Sioux Falls, SD ($111,338 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.0% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,722 in Sioux Falls | $113,996 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Phoenix → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $61,722 | +9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $74,678 | +9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $89,508 | +9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $106,437 | +9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $125,776 | +9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $50,040 | $57,044 (−3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $101,040 | $115,182 (−12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $80,920 | $92,246 (+14.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $75,350 | $85,896 (−14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.