City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sioux Falls, SD are 1.9% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $101,900 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Wichita, KS 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 Wichita, KS changes real buying power by +1.9%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,141 in Wichita | $101,894 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $47,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Wichita, KS
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
75 Strong offer
Wichita, KS → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
63 Fair 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 Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Wichita, KS | Real change, Sioux Falls → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $58,640 | $59,751 (+19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $105,980 | $107,988 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $79,270 | $80,772 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $76,540 | $77,990 (+3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.