City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tallahassee, FL are 3.6% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $103,600 in Tallahassee, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in SD and $0 in FL.
- 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 Tallahassee, FL changes real buying power by −3.5%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,628 in Tallahassee | $96,499 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
58 Fair offer
Tallahassee, FL → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
80 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 Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Sioux Falls → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $55,020 | $53,094 (+6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $121,800 | $117,536 (+16.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $61,840 | $59,675 (−26.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $79,430 | $76,649 (+1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.