City comparison
Provo, UT vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 8.4% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $108,400 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Provo, UT 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 Provo, UT to Sioux Falls, SD changes real buying power by +8.4%, purely from prices.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
- 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
| Provo, UT | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,262 in Sioux Falls | $108,387 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
95 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
45 Weak 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 Provo, UT to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Provo → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $50,040 | $54,237 (−13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $101,040 | $109,514 (−16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $80,920 | $87,707 (+15.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $75,350 | $81,669 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.