City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Syracuse, NY are 5.6% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $105,600 in Syracuse, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Syracuse, NY versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Syracuse, NY and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Syracuse, NY 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 Syracuse, NY changes real buying power by −5.3%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,639 in Syracuse | $94,662 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Syracuse, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
52 Fair offer
Syracuse, NY → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
86 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 Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Sioux Falls → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $78,560 | $74,366 (+48.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $129,100 | $122,208 (+21.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $82,230 | $77,840 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $86,960 | $82,318 (+9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.