City comparison
Chicago, IL 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 5.6% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $105,600 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL and $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,805 a year in IL and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Chicago, IL to Kiryas Joel, NY ($118,984 → $125,431), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,625 in Kiryas Joel | $94,675 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$55/yr.
52 Fair offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$55/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Chicago → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $72,737 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $88,005 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $105,481 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $125,431 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $148,222 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $81,770 | $77,416 (−1.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $145,830 | $138,064 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $88,900 | $84,166 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $102,890 | $97,411 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.