City comparison
Denver, CO 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 3.4% higher than in Denver, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Denver, CO would need about $103,400 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, CO and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Denver, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Denver, CO to Kiryas Joel, NY ($118,675 → $125,431), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (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
| Denver, CO | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.8 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,441 in Kiryas Joel | $96,673 in Denver |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,754/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $62,320 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Denver | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 146.9 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 101.0 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 105.8 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Denver, CO → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
58 Fair offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Denver, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Denver, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Denver, CO to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Denver, CO | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Denver → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $72,737 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $88,005 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $105,481 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $125,431 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $148,222 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Denver, CO | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Denver dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,910 | $81,770 | $79,050 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $137,610 | $145,830 | $140,979 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,020 | $88,900 | $85,943 (−14.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,130 | $102,890 | $99,467 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.