City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 27.4% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $127,400 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 $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to McAllen, TX ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −21.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (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 | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $78,499 in McAllen | $127,390 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +27.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | McAllen, TX | Real change, Kiryas Joel → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $63,110 | $80,396 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $116,120 | $147,926 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $64,470 | $82,129 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $80,540 | $102,600 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.