City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 22.5% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $122,500 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Kiryas Joel, NY ($112,556 → $125,431), while prices change by +22.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,539 in Kiryas Joel | $81,607 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Columbus → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $72,737 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $88,005 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $105,481 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $125,431 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $148,222 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $81,770 | $66,730 (+8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $145,830 | $119,007 (+2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $88,900 | $72,549 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $102,890 | $83,965 (+1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.