Moving from Washington to South Dakota
Moving to South Dakota on the same salary raises your real buying power by 22.9%. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
The salary comparison above is for W-2 earnings. Your retirement income and budget results appear in the calculator below.
State-median gross rent (2024 ACS): $1,824/month in Washington and $999/month in South Dakota. These are state benchmarks, not current rental quotes or your own housing costs. Compare your salary offer, housing and moving-cost recovery using the personal-budget option in the calculator.
Equal salary in SD: $79,000
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $79,000 in South Dakota to match $100,000 in Washington ($21,000 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
The renter figure uses ACS gross rent, which includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels. The buyer figure adds electricity separately to mortgage, property tax and insurance. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. These are selected-cost changes, not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $100,000 | Washington | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $13,170 | $13,170 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $7,650 | $7,650 |
| State income tax | $0 | $0 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $1,387 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $77,793 | $79,180 |
Key facts: Washington to South Dakota
- Median rent
- $1,824 → $999/mo
- Median home value
- $602,200 → $289,600
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 107.0 → 88.6
- Road distance
- ≈ 1,310 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Very high county-score mean → Midrange county-score mean
What changes when you move to South Dakota
- Neither state taxes wages, but you'd stop paying about $1,387 a year in Washington's paid-leave and long-term-care premiums.
- BEA's housing rents price index is 46% lower in South Dakota. Median rent goes from $1,824 to $999 a month and the median home value from $602,200 to $289,600.
- Homeowners pay less property tax: the median bill is $2,940 in South Dakota vs $4,729 in Washington.
- Prices for everyday goods are 9% lower (BEA). The statewide sales tax rate is 4.2% in South Dakota vs 6.5% in Washington, before local sales taxes.
Who moves from Washington to South Dakota
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 444 households (800 people) filed their taxes in South Dakota after filing in Washington the year before. That makes South Dakota the #41 destination for people leaving Washington. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $95,448. Going the other way, 378 households moved from South Dakota to Washington, a net gain of 66 households for South Dakota.
Five-year trend
Moves from Washington to South Dakota peaked in 2021–22 at 605 households, then fell 27% by 2022–23. That is still up 64% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from Washington to South Dakota
Moving cost: $900–$12,000
Moving about 1,310 miles from Washington to South Dakota costs roughly $900 – $12,000, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $900 – $3,940 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $1,740 – $4,490 |
| Full-service movers Loading, transport and unloading. Packing, storage and other extra services may cost more; confirm the written estimate. | $2,810 – $12,000 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 131 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from Washington to South Dakota
Car shipping: $1,000–$1,460
Shipping a sedan from Washington to South Dakota on an open carrier costs about $1,000–$1,460, typically 3–7 days in transit over about 1,310 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published mainland-to-Hawaii and mainland-to-Alaska prices. Reverse ocean routes reuse those inbound prices as a proxy, not a separately sourced price for that direction. The 25% SUV and 35% enclosed-carrier uplifts are model assumptions; ocean carrier packages and vehicle charges can differ. Not a quote.
Washington vs South Dakota take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in SD | Take-home change | Take-home in WA | Take-home in SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $40,200 | +$694 | $41,661 | $42,355 |
| $75,000 | $59,700 | +$1,040 | $60,552 | $61,593 |
| $100,000 | $79,000 | +$1,387 | $77,793 | $79,180 |
| $150,000 | $118,900 | +$2,081 | $111,710 | $113,791 |
| $250,000 | $200,400 | +$2,939 | $180,243 | $183,182 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: Washington vs South Dakota
| Measure | Washington | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 107.0 | 88.6 |
| Housing rents price index | 126.0 | 67.6 |
| Utilities price index | 92.9 | 79.7 |
| Goods price index | 104.4 | 95.5 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,824 | $999 |
| Median home value | $602,200 | $289,600 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $4,729 | $2,940 |
| Electricity (residential) | 14.91¢/kWh | 15.36¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 6.5% | 4.2% |
| Median household income | $99,389 | $76,881 |
Renting and buying: Washington vs South Dakota
| Measure | Washington | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $72,960 | $39,960 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $3,786 | $1,970 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $162,244 | $84,417 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,301 | $1,750 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $23,136 | $8,859 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in South Dakota for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Washington vs South Dakota
On a $100,000 salary, taxes, gross rent including basic utilities, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $55,111 a year in Washington and $43,623 in South Dakota if you rent: $11,488 less after the move. If you buy the median home, those selected costs use mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance and electricity instead of gross rent; they come to $80,144 and $56,845 ($23,299 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | WA | SD | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $100,000, single filer | $22,207 | $20,820 | -$1,387 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,153 | $937 | -$216 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,519 | $2,018 | -$501 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $7,344 | $7,860 | +$516 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent and basic utilities ACS median gross rent, 12 months | $21,888 | $11,988 | -$9,900 |
| Total if you rent | $55,111 | $43,623 | -$11,488 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 7.24% | $39,398 | $18,947 | -$20,451 |
| Property tax median home | $4,729 | $2,940 | -$1,789 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,301 | $1,750 | +$449 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,493 | $1,573 | +$80 |
| Total if you buy | $80,144 | $56,845 | -$23,299 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Gross rent includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels; those basic utilities are not added again. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2025 average residential power bill (buyers only), NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on October 29, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $23,136 a year in Washington and $8,859 in South Dakota (Child Care Aware of America, 2025 (2024 fallback for Colorado, Washington, DC and South Carolina) state averages).
Cost of living in South Dakota cities: Sioux Falls.
After you arrive in South Dakota
- South Dakota new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Washington and South Dakota.
- How South Dakota taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in South Dakota to live like I do in Washington?
A $100,000 salary in Washington works out to about $79,000 in South Dakota once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted.
Will I pay less tax in South Dakota than in Washington?
Yes, about $1,387 less a year in income and payroll taxes on a $100,000 salary (22.2% of pay in Washington vs 20.8% in South Dakota). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Washington to South Dakota?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 1,310 miles, expect roughly $900–$3,940 with a rental truck, $1,740–$4,490 with a moving container, or $2,810–$12,000 with full-service movers.
Are more people moving from Washington to South Dakota?
Moves from Washington to South Dakota peaked in 2021–22 at 605 households, then fell 27% by 2022–23. That is still up 64% from 2018–19.
How many people move from Washington to South Dakota?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 444 households (800 people) moved from Washington to South Dakota, making South Dakota the #41 destination for people leaving Washington. 378 households moved the other way.
Is South Dakota cheaper than Washington?
Overall prices in South Dakota are 17.2% lower than Washington (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $999 vs $1,824 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from Washington actually move
- WA to California 17,871 households
- WA to Oregon 12,212 households
- WA to Texas 9,863 households
- WA to Arizona 8,011 households
- WA to Idaho 6,151 households
- WA to Florida 5,661 households
- WA to New York 3,513 households
- WA to Colorado 3,480 households
State-agency links identify the responsible tax office; they do not verify every modeled rule. Use forms and guidance for the year you are filing.