City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 7.4% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $107,400 in Kiryas Joel, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $795 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Portland, ME ($125,431 → $120,548), while prices change by −6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (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 | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,087 in Portland | $107,426 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Portland, ME
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$795/yr.
89 Strong offer
Portland, ME → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$795/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Portland, ME | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,905 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,579 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $101,375 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,548 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $142,452 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $76,770 | $82,471 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $128,710 | $138,268 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $79,790 | $85,715 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $88,470 | $95,040 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.