City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 17.4% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $117,400 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Riverside, CA to Sioux Falls, SD ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (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
| Riverside, CA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,146 in Sioux Falls | $117,445 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Riverside → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $50,040 | $58,770 (−40.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $101,040 | $118,667 (−11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $80,920 | $95,037 (+13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $75,350 | $88,495 (−33.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.