City comparison
Detroit, MI 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 9.1% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $109,100 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 $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Detroit, MI to Kiryas Joel, NY ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,097 in Kiryas Joel | $91,662 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
43 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Detroit → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $81,770 | $74,952 (+14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $145,830 | $133,670 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $88,900 | $81,487 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $102,890 | $94,311 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.