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
Louisiana is 0.5% cheaper overall than South Dakota.
What Physician Assistant pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
South Dakota
- Median pay
- $131,910
- After tax
- $100,913
$113,897worth here
Louisiana
- Median pay
- $130,290
- After tax
- $96,273
$109,153worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — “Physician Assistants”.
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 | Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 88.6 | 88.2 |
| Housing (rent) | 67.6 | 63.1 |
| Utilities | 79.7 | 71.5 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 93.7 |
| Other services | 91.9 | 95.7 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 0% | 3% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 6.11% | 10.12% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.99% | 0.55% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 899,194 | 4,621,025 |
| Median household income | $72,421 | $60,023 |
| Median age | 37.7 | 37.8 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.60% | 67.30% |
| Median home value | $236,800 | $208,700 |
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.
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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.