City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Utica, NY are 2.3% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $102,300 in Utica, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $986 a month in Sioux Falls, SD versus $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Sioux Falls, SD and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Utica, 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 Utica, NY changes real buying power by −2.2%, purely from prices.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,259 in Utica | $97,791 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $926/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% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Utica, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
62 Fair offer
Utica, NY → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
76 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 Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Utica, NY | Real change, Sioux Falls → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $77,010 | $75,309 (+50.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $113,390 | $110,886 (+9.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $79,830 | $78,067 (−3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $94,300 | $92,217 (+22.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.