City comparison
Reno, NV vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 11.5% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $111,500 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Reno, NV to Sioux Falls, SD ($106,855 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.0% in real buying power.
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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
| Reno, NV | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,721 in Sioux Falls | $111,456 in Reno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,489/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Reno-Fernley, NV | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reno, NV and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reno | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.5 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reno, NV → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reno, NV is in the Reno-Fernley, NV pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reno, NV to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reno, NV | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Reno → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,965 | $61,722 | +11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,972 | $74,678 | +11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,859 | $89,508 | +11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,855 | $106,437 | +11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,271 | $125,776 | +11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reno, NV | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Reno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,430 | $50,040 | $55,773 (−10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,710 | $101,040 | $112,615 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,370 | $80,920 | $90,190 (+9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,520 | $75,350 | $83,982 (−21.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.