City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 15.6% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $115,600 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.3% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Pittsburgh, PA ($125,431 → $110,047), while prices change by −13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,519 in Pittsburgh | $115,581 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
100 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,815 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,211 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $92,543 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $110,047 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $130,042 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $76,550 | $88,478 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $124,500 | $143,899 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $76,940 | $88,928 (+0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $82,370 | $95,204 (−7.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.