City comparison
Durham, NC 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 12.1% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $112,100 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,507 a month in Durham, NC and $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,378 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Durham, NC to Kiryas Joel, NY ($111,147 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,145 in Kiryas Joel | $89,170 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,378/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,378/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Durham → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $72,737 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $88,005 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $105,481 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $125,431 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $148,222 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $81,770 | $72,915 (+41.9%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $145,830 | $130,037 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $88,900 | $79,272 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $102,890 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.