City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Kiryas Joel, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 9.4% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $109,400 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Kiryas Joel, NY ($112,556 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,359 in Kiryas Joel | $91,442 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
42 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Atlanta → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $72,737 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $88,005 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $105,481 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $125,431 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $148,222 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $81,770 | $74,772 (−2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $145,830 | $133,350 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $88,900 | $81,292 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $102,890 | $94,085 (−6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.