City comparison
Fort Wayne, IN 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 18.2% higher than in Fort Wayne, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Wayne, IN would need about $118,200 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 $916 in Fort Wayne, IN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 14% in Fort Wayne, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,939 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Fort Wayne, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Fort Wayne, IN to Kiryas Joel, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +18.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Fort Wayne, IN: price level 92.6 (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
| Fort Wayne, IN | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,202 in Kiryas Joel | $84,601 in Fort Wayne |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $916/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,260 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,921 (IN) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,700 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fort Wayne, IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Fort Wayne, IN and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Wayne | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.3 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 94.3 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 86.2 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 99.1 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Wayne, IN → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,939/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Fort Wayne, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,939/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Wayne, IN 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 Fort Wayne, IN to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Wayne, IN | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Fort Wayne → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Wayne, IN | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Fort Wayne dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,800 | $81,770 | $69,178 (+15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,560 | $145,830 | $123,373 (+21.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $88,900 | $75,210 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,630 | $102,890 | $87,046 (+9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.