City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 14.4% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $114,400 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Olympia, WA to Sioux Falls, SD ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (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
| Olympia, WA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,423 in Sioux Falls | $114,387 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Olympia → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $50,040 | $57,239 (−45.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $101,040 | $115,577 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $80,920 | $92,562 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $75,350 | $86,191 (−31.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.