City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 5.4% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $105,400 in Grand Rapids, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +5.4%, purely from prices.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (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
| Grand Rapids, MI | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,856 in Sioux Falls | $105,423 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/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 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
86 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
53 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Grand Rapids → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $50,040 | $52,754 (−14.8%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $101,040 | $106,519 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $80,920 | $85,308 (+11.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $75,350 | $79,436 (−5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.