City comparison
Anchorage, AK 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 3.8% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $103,800 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 $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to Kiryas Joel, NY ($120,348 → $125,431), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,796 in Kiryas Joel | $96,343 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
57 Fair offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Anchorage → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $72,737 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $88,005 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $105,481 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $125,431 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $148,222 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $81,770 | $78,779 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $145,830 | $140,496 (+35.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $88,900 | $85,649 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $102,890 | $99,127 (−14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.