City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Winston, NC are 1.6% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $101,600 in Winston, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in Winston, NC versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Winston, NC 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 Winston, NC changes real buying power by −1.5%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,558 in Winston | $98,466 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Winston, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
64 Fair offer
Winston, NC → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
74 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 Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Winston, NC | Real change, Sioux Falls → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $56,510 | $55,643 (+11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $124,130 | $122,226 (+21.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $78,950 | $77,739 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $86,120 | $84,799 (+12.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.