City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 10.6% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $110,600 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.1% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Sioux Falls, SD ($113,356 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.8% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,425 in Sioux Falls | $110,589 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $61,722 | +3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $74,678 | +3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $89,508 | +3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $106,437 | +3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $125,776 | +3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $50,040 | $55,339 (+3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $101,040 | $111,739 (−13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $80,920 | $89,489 (+12.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $75,350 | $83,329 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.