City comparison
Austin, TX 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 11.6% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $111,600 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,562 a month in Austin, TX and $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.6% moving from Austin, TX to Kiryas Joel, NY ($109,428 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,580 in Kiryas Joel | $89,622 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Austin → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $72,737 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $88,005 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $105,481 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $125,431 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $148,222 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $81,770 | $73,284 (+19.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $145,830 | $130,696 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $88,900 | $79,674 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $102,890 | $92,212 (−5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.