City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Kiryas Joel, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 9.5% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $109,500 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,549 a month in Kiryas Joel, NY versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Allentown, PA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $125,431 in either. A transfer from Allentown, PA to Kiryas Joel, NY changes real buying power by −8.6%, purely from prices.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,457 in Kiryas Joel | $91,360 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
42 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Allentown → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $72,737 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $88,005 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $105,481 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $125,431 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $148,222 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $81,770 | $74,705 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $145,830 | $133,230 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $88,900 | $81,219 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $102,890 | $94,000 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.