City comparison
Sioux Falls, SD vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 19.7% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $119,700 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Sioux Falls, SD to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +19.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sioux Falls, SD | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.6 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,693 in Vallejo | $83,547 in Sioux Falls |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $986/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (SD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,970 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Sioux Falls, SD-MN and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sioux Falls | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.6 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 80.7 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 90.6 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sioux Falls, SD → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.5%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sioux Falls, SD is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sioux Falls, SD to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sioux Falls, SD | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Sioux Falls → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sioux Falls, SD | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Sioux Falls dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,040 | $100,790 | $84,207 (+68.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,040 | $136,930 | $114,401 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $95,800 | $80,038 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,350 | $203,290 | $169,843 (+125.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.