City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sioux Falls, SD are 1.6% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $101,600 in Sioux Falls, SD to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD and $987 in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by +1.6%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (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 | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,437 in Tulsa | $101,588 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Tulsa, OK
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
74 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Sioux Falls, SD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
64 Fair 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 Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Sioux Falls → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $48,220 | $48,986 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $108,730 | $110,457 (+9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $81,320 | $82,612 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $84,790 | $86,137 (+14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.