City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Little Rock, AR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 22.4% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $122,400 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,172 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Little Rock, AR ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −18.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Little Rock, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 89.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,669 in Little Rock | $122,445 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $989/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,493 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,687 (AR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $45,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 74.6 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 89.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,172/yr.
100 Strong offer
Little Rock, AR → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,172/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Little Rock, AR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Little Rock, AR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Little Rock, AR | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Little Rock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Little Rock, AR | Little Rock pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $58,580 | $71,728 (−12.3%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $104,070 | $127,429 (−12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $65,810 | $80,581 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $81,070 | $99,266 (−3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.