City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 11.3% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $111,300 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +11.3%, purely from prices.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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
| Salt Lake City, UT | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,851 in Sioux Falls | $111,295 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
38 Weak 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 Salt Lake City, UT to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Salt Lake City → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $50,040 | $55,692 (−28.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $101,040 | $112,453 (−13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $80,920 | $90,060 (+9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $75,350 | $83,861 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.