City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Sioux Falls, SD (90.6) and Spartanburg, SC (91.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD goes as far as $100,500 in Spartanburg, SC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,083 a month in Spartanburg, SC versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Spartanburg, SC and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC 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 Sioux Falls, SD to Spartanburg, SC changes real buying power by −0.5%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,463 in Spartanburg | $99,539 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Spartanburg, SC
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
67 Fair offer
Spartanburg, SC → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
70 Strong 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 Sioux Falls, SD to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Sioux Falls → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $60,990 | $60,709 (+21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $114,460 | $113,932 (+12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $77,080 | $76,724 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $82,360 | $81,980 (+8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.