City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Augusta, GA are 1.4% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $101,400 in Augusta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,114 a month in Augusta, GA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Augusta, GA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA 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 Augusta, GA to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +1.4%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Augusta, GA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,616 in Sioux Falls | $101,403 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
73 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Augusta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
64 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 Augusta, GA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Augusta → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $50,040 | $50,742 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $101,040 | $102,458 (−14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $80,920 | $82,056 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $75,350 | $76,408 (−12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.