City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 3.8% higher than in Kiryas Joel, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Kiryas Joel, NY would need about $103,800 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Los Angeles, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,787 in Los Angeles | $96,351 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
44 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $101,860 | $98,143 (+20.0%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $160,920 | $155,048 (+6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $94,360 | $90,917 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $135,560 | $130,613 (+26.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.