City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 24.2% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $124,200 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,735 in AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Mobile, AL ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −19.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (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 | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $80,512 in Mobile | $124,205 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$125/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Mobile, AL | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $60,970 | $75,728 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $122,540 | $152,201 (+4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $72,130 | $89,589 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $79,490 | $98,730 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.