City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Montgomery, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 22.0% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $122,000 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 $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 14% in Montgomery, 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 Montgomery, AL ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −18.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (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 | Montgomery, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 89.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,960 in Montgomery | $122,011 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $870/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% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $44,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Montgomery, AL MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Montgomery, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 64.3 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 84.9 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 89.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$125/yr.
100 Strong offer
Montgomery, AL → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; 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; Montgomery, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Montgomery, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Montgomery, AL | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Montgomery |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Montgomery, AL | Montgomery pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $59,610 | $72,731 (−11.1%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $110,620 | $134,969 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $75,040 | $91,557 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $79,570 | $97,084 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.