

Ames vs Sioux Falls
$554/mo more in Sioux Falls
AmesSioux FallsAbout 191 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Sioux Falls leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,955/mo in Sioux Falls. $2,401/mo in Ames. +$6,648 a year.
Ames
$2,401
left each month
Sioux Falls
$2,955
+$554 vs Ames
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
+$554 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Ames | Sioux Falls | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $7,244 | +$1,036 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,332 | $1,449 | +$117 |
| Take-home pay | $4,877 | $5,795 | +$919 |
| Rent | $760 | $982 | +$222 |
| Getting around | $457 | $539 | +$82 |
| Groceries | $347 | $364 | +$17 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $410 | +$19 |
| Utilities | $217 | $228 | +$11 |
| Everything else | $304 | $319 | +$15 |
| Left over | $2,401 | $2,955 | +$554 |
Salary to match Ames
$77,500
Gross pay in Sioux Falls that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in Ames.
Tax difference
+$2,276
A year, in state and local income tax. South Dakota has no wage income tax.
More about Sioux Falls
Ames, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $905 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
Sioux Falls, SD in full
No income tax, an 18-minute commute, and nothing to do in February.
The other way
Start in Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls → Ames →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Sioux Falls than Ames?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Sioux Falls leaves about $554 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $760 in Ames and $982 in Sioux Falls.
Does Sioux Falls have state income tax?
Sioux Falls is in South Dakota, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Ames to Sioux Falls?
The paycheck is taxed in South Dakota. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Ames and Sioux Falls changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.