City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 1.6% higher than in Kiryas Joel, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Kiryas Joel, NY would need about $101,600 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.6% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Seattle, WA ($125,431 → $119,630), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (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 | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,564 in Seattle | $98,460 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Seattle, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
53 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Seattle, WA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,373 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,935 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,602 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $119,630 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,367 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $102,920 | $101,335 (+23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $167,280 | $164,705 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $99,370 | $97,840 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $128,260 | $126,285 (+22.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.