City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 16.5% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $116,500 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to Sioux Falls, SD ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Bremerton, WA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,819 in Sioux Falls | $116,524 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Bremerton → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $50,040 | $58,309 (−43.2%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $101,040 | $117,736 (−19.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $80,920 | $94,291 (+6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $75,350 | $87,801 (−18.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.