City comparison
Boston, MA 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 1.1% higher than in Boston, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Boston, MA would need about $101,100 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,780 a year in MA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Boston, MA to Kiryas Joel, NY ($120,548 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,068 in Kiryas Joel | $98,944 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$80/yr.
65 Fair offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Boston, MA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$80/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Boston → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $72,737 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $88,005 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $105,481 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $125,431 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $148,222 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $81,770 | $80,906 (−17.5%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $145,830 | $144,289 (−13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $88,900 | $87,961 (−12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $102,890 | $101,803 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.