City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 11.3% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $111,300 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 $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 20% in Merced, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Merced, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by −10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.1% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Merced, CA: 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 | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,813 in Merced | $111,343 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Merced, CA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +18.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +18.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +18.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +18.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +18.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $100,120 | $111,476 (+36.3%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $132,120 | $147,106 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $80,420 | $89,542 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $131,620 | $146,549 (+42.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.