City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 14.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $114,200 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Both are in NY, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,860 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.7% moving from Buffalo, NY to Kiryas Joel, NY ($111,301 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,167 in Kiryas Joel | $87,591 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Buffalo → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $72,737 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $88,005 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $105,481 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $125,431 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $148,222 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $81,770 | $71,623 (−6.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $145,830 | $127,734 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $88,900 | $77,869 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $102,890 | $90,123 (−9.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.