City comparison
Baltimore, MD 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 4.7% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $104,700 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD and $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.0% moving from Baltimore, MD to Kiryas Joel, NY ($121,785 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,723 in Kiryas Joel | $95,490 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
55 Fair offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Baltimore → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $72,737 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $88,005 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $105,481 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $125,431 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $148,222 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $81,770 | $78,082 (+2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $145,830 | $139,253 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $88,900 | $84,891 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $102,890 | $98,250 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.