City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 1.5% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $101,500 in Fayetteville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Sioux Falls, SD ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (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
| Fayetteville, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,536 in Sioux Falls | $101,486 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
73 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Fayetteville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Fayetteville → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $50,040 | $50,784 (−6.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $101,040 | $102,542 (−16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $80,920 | $82,123 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $75,350 | $76,470 (−7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.