City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 12.9% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $112,900 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $940 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Milwaukee, WI ($125,431 → $111,310), while prices change by −11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,590 in Milwaukee | $112,879 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$940/yr.
100 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$940/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,548 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $78,098 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,606 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,310 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,535 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $61,480 | $69,398 (−15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $123,730 | $139,666 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $80,290 | $90,631 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $97,360 | $109,899 (+6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.