City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 16.6% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $116,600 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NH and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Manchester, NH to Sioux Falls, SD ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,779 in Sioux Falls | $116,579 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Manchester → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $50,040 | $58,336 (−20.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $101,040 | $117,792 (−27.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $80,920 | $94,336 (+12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $75,350 | $87,843 (−10.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.