City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 10.7% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $110,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Sioux Falls, SD ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,362 in Sioux Falls | $110,666 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Detroit → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $50,040 | $55,377 (−15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $101,040 | $111,817 (−14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $80,920 | $89,551 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $75,350 | $83,387 (−14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.