City comparison
Little Rock, AR 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 1.4% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $101,400 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $989 a month in Little Rock, AR and $986 in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,687 a year higher in Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by −1.4%, purely from prices.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,418 in Sioux Falls | $98,602 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/yr.
64 Fair offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Little Rock, AR
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,687/yr.
73 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 Little Rock, AR to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Little Rock → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $50,040 | $49,340 (−15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $101,040 | $99,627 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $80,920 | $79,789 (+21.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $75,350 | $74,297 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.