City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 7.0% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $107,000 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,119 a month in Milwaukee, WI versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Milwaukee, WI and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Sioux Falls, SD ($111,310 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,495 in Sioux Falls | $106,958 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/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 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
90 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Milwaukee → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $61,722 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $74,678 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $89,508 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $106,437 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $125,776 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $50,040 | $53,522 (−12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $101,040 | $108,070 (−12.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $80,920 | $86,550 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $75,350 | $80,593 (−17.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.