City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 17.0% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $117,000 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 $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Kiryas Joel, NY than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Scranton, PA ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,500 in Scranton | $116,959 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
100 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Scranton, PA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $76,590 | $89,579 (+9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $119,960 | $140,304 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $70,480 | $82,433 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $82,650 | $96,666 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.