City comparison
Salinas, CA vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 20.3% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $120,300 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Salinas, CA to Sioux Falls, SD ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −16.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much 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
| Salinas, CA | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,116 in Sioux Falls | $120,314 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/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 | 36% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
21 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salinas, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Salinas → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $50,040 | $60,205 (−39.9%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $101,040 | $121,566 (−10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $80,920 | $97,358 (+16.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $75,350 | $90,657 (−32.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.