City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 11.4% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $111,400 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 $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Lancaster, PA ($125,431 → $108,592), while prices change by −10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,796 in Lancaster | $111,363 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,972 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,190 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,320 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,592 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,323 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $78,360 | $87,264 (+6.7%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $104,740 | $116,642 (−20.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $76,110 | $84,758 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $89,620 | $99,804 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.