City comparison
Madison, WI vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 7.3% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $107,300 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +7.3%, purely from prices.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,158 in Sioux Falls | $107,344 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
92 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
47 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 Madison, WI to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Madison → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $50,040 | $53,715 (−15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $101,040 | $108,460 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $80,920 | $86,863 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $75,350 | $80,884 (−20.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.