Nebraska and South Dakota at a glance
Moving between Nebraska and South Dakota changes more than the scenery. On a $60,000 salary, Nebraska leaves $29,330 a year after taxes, rent, food, energy and gasoline; South Dakota leaves $32,200.
South Dakota comes out ahead by $2,871 a year ($239 a month). The calculation starts from the same gross pay in both states, subtracts federal tax, Social Security and Medicare, then each state's own income tax, and then the population-weighted cost of a one-bedroom rental, groceries, home energy and gasoline across 1,978,707 people in 93 counties in Nebraska and 907,428 people in 66 counties in South Dakota.
Taxes: what each paycheck loses
Federal income tax ($5,072) and FICA ($4,590) on $60,000 are the same on both sides of the border. South Dakota does not tax wages, while Nebraska takes $2,024 of a $60,000 salary in state income tax, so take-home pay is $2,024 higher in South Dakota.
At $100,000
At $100,000 take-home pay is $74,797 in Nebraska and $78,901 in South Dakota, a difference of $4,104. The gap widens with income because graduated state brackets take a growing share.
Living costs
One-bedroom rent averages $1,036 a month in Nebraska and $958 in South Dakota, so South Dakota is $78 a month cheaper for housing. Food costs $3,436 a year in both, because the USDA Thrifty Food Plan is a national figure; home energy $1,628 and $1,708, and gasoline $1,485 and $1,496. Together the basics cost $18,985 a year in Nebraska and $18,138 in South Dakota.
What the Census adds
Median household income is $76,475 in Nebraska and $75,081 in South Dakota. Homeowners pay a median of $3,549 a year in property tax in Nebraska and $2,724 in South Dakota. Commuters travel 19.2 minutes each way on average in Nebraska and 17.8 in South Dakota.
Method
Taxes use the 2025 rules for a single filer with wage income only and the standard deduction. Housing and living costs are county figures from HUD (one-bedroom Fair Market Rent), the USDA Thrifty Food Plan and state energy prices from the Energy Information Administration, averaged across each state's counties and weighted by population, so large counties count more. Local income taxes are not included. Counties differ widely inside every state, so use the county pages for a specific place.