City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 24.7% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $124,700 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Tuscaloosa, AL ($125,431 → $107,510), while prices change by −19.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $80,169 in Tuscaloosa | $124,737 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,344 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,431 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,410 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,510 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,044 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $60,220 | $75,117 (−8.1%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $104,870 | $130,812 (−10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $71,690 | $89,424 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $75,250 | $93,865 (−8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.