City comparison
College Station, TX vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in College Station, TX (91.0) and Sioux Falls, SD (90.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in College Station, TX goes as far as $99,600 in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in 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 College Station, TX to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +0.4%, purely from prices.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,648 in Sioux Falls | $100,353 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → College Station, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 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 College Station, TX to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, College Station → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $50,040 | $50,217 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $101,040 | $101,397 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $80,920 | $81,206 (+13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $75,350 | $75,616 (−9.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.