Cost of living by state
Weighing a move? Compare any two states side by side — cost of living, taxes, and demographics — then pick your specialty to see what that salary is really worth once it's adjusted for local prices. Green means cheaper or better; red means pricier or worse.
Overall cost of living
Colorado is 16.4% more expensive overall than South Dakota.
What Dermatology pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
South Dakota
BLS doesn't publish a wage for Dermatology in South Dakota. Cost of living and taxes below still apply.
Colorado
- Median pay
- $357,840
- After tax
- $235,686
$228,599worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — “Dermatologists”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | South Dakota | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 88.6 | 103.1 |
| Housing (rent) | 67.6 | 127.4 |
| Utilities | 79.7 | 85.0 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 98.7 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 99.6 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 0% | 4.40% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 6.11% | 7.86% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.99% | 0.50% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 899,194 | 5,810,774 |
| Median household income | $72,421 | $92,470 |
| Median age | 37.7 | 37.5 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.60% | 66.30% |
| Median home value | $236,800 | $502,200 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · Tax Foundation. Figures are the latest published; cost-of-living is a price-level index, not tax-adjusted take-home pay.
Browse all state profiles
VitalPost shows sourced, public data for context only — it isn't financial or tax advice. Cost-of-living is a price-level index (US average = 100); taxes shown are statewide/averaged and don't capture local income or the specifics of your situation.