City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sioux Falls, SD are 3.9% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $103,900 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA 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 Lafayette, LA to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by −3.8%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (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
| Lafayette, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,924 in Sioux Falls | $96,224 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
57 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
81 Strong 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 Lafayette, LA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Lafayette → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $50,040 | $48,151 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $101,040 | $97,225 (−10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $80,920 | $77,865 (+15.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $75,350 | $72,505 (−11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.