City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 25.5% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $125,500 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,246 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Lafayette, LA ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −20.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.5% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $79,700 in Lafayette | $125,471 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,246/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,246/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | +6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | +6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | +6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | +6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | +6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $47,770 | $59,937 (−26.7%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $109,010 | $136,776 (−6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $67,630 | $84,856 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $81,960 | $102,836 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.