City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in South Bend, IN are 2.5% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $102,500 in South Bend, IN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,105 a month in South Bend, IN versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in South Bend, IN 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 Sioux Falls, SD to South Bend, IN changes real buying power by −2.4%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,457 in South Bend | $97,602 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → South Bend, IN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
61 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
76 Strong 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 Sioux Falls, SD to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | South Bend, IN | Real change, Sioux Falls → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $58,180 | $56,785 (+13.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $95,500 | $93,210 (−7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $77,940 | $76,071 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $93,540 | $91,297 (+21.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.