City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kiryas Joel, NY (109.4) and Santa Maria, CA (108.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kiryas Joel, NY goes as far as $99,400 in Santa Maria, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (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 | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,430 in Santa Maria | $100,574 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $2,746/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% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $51,690 |
| 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Santa Maria, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
41 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $101,030 | $101,609 (+24.3%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $158,290 | $159,198 (+9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $91,610 | $92,135 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $137,360 | $138,148 (+34.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.