City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $104,900 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD and $995 in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Sioux Falls, SD to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,918 in St. Louis | $95,313 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
54 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sioux Falls, SD is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Sioux Falls, SD to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Sioux Falls → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $60,650 | $57,807 (+15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $129,030 | $122,982 (+21.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $78,880 | $75,183 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $83,180 | $79,281 (+5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.