City comparison
Columbus, OH 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 14.6% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $114,600 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,892 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Columbus, OH to Kiryas Joel, NY ($111,065 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,615 in Kiryas Joel | $87,248 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,892/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,892/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Columbus → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $72,737 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $88,005 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $105,481 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $125,431 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $148,222 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $81,770 | $71,343 (−8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $145,830 | $127,234 (+4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $88,900 | $77,564 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $102,890 | $89,770 (+7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.