City comparison
Chattanooga, TN 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 19.6% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $119,600 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,549 a month in Kiryas Joel, NY versus $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Kiryas Joel, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +19.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Chattanooga, TN | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,634 in Kiryas Joel | $83,588 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chattanooga, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chattanooga, TN to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Chattanooga → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,830 | $81,770 | $68,350 (+14.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $145,830 | $121,897 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $88,900 | $74,310 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $102,890 | $86,004 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.