City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 20.2% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $120,200 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,843 in SC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Spartanburg, SC ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (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 | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,211 in Spartanburg | $120,177 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$17/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$17/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $60,990 | $73,296 (−10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $114,460 | $137,554 (−5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $77,080 | $92,632 (+4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $82,360 | $98,977 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.