City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 19.3% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $119,300 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,712 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.9% moving from Des Moines, IA to Kiryas Joel, NY ($107,301 → $125,431), while prices change by +19.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much 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
| Des Moines, IA | Kiryas Joel, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 109.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,325 in Kiryas Joel | $83,805 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,549/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $50,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 115.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 136.8 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 106.5 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 109.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,712/yr.
37 Weak offer
Kiryas Joel, NY → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,712/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Kiryas Joel, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Kiryas Joel, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Real change, Des Moines → Kiryas Joel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $72,737 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $88,005 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $105,481 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $125,431 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $148,222 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Kiryas Joel, NY | Kiryas Joel pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $81,770 | $68,527 (+11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $145,830 | $122,213 (−3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $88,900 | $74,503 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $102,890 | $86,227 (+9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.