City comparison

Kiryas Joel, NY vs Urban Honolulu, HI

What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.

Key findings

  • Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 1.4% higher than in Kiryas Joel, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Kiryas Joel, NY would need about $101,400 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
  • Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
  • On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,210 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Kiryas Joel, NY.
  • For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Urban Honolulu, HI ($125,431 → $111,119), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.6% in real buying power.
Kiryas JoelUrban Honolulu
Price level (U.S. = 100):Under 9292–9898–102102–108Over 108
  • Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
  • Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)

Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.

Side by side

Kiryas Joel, NYUrban Honolulu, HI
Price level (U.S. = 100)2109.4111.0
$100,000 is worth, in the other city2$101,406 in Urban Honolulu$98,613 in Kiryas Joel
Typical 1-bedroom rent3$1,549/mo$2,016/mo
Take-home on $100,00014,15,8$74,320$73,110
State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8$4,860 (NY)$6,070 (HI)
Rent burden on $100,00025%33%
Median pay, all jobs4$50,990$57,220
Federal locality pay area7New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PAState of Hawaii

Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Urban Honolulu, HI.

What costs more or less

Kiryas Joel, NYUrban Honolulu, HI
Price level (U.S. = 100)Kiryas JoelUrban Honolulu
Housing (rent)115.8135.5
Goods110.3111.6
Utilities136.8187.3
Other services106.5102.9
Overall109.4111.0
BEA Regional Price Parities2. Housing covers rents.

Moving with the same $100,000 salary

Kiryas Joel, NY → Urban Honolulu, HI

Roughly even

Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,210/yr.

52 Fair offer

Urban Honolulu, HI → Kiryas Joel, NY

Roughly even

Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,210/yr.

73 Strong offer

On the GS pay scale?

Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.

Grade5,2Kiryas Joel, NYUrban Honolulu, HIReal change, Kiryas Joel → Urban Honolulu
GS-9 step 1$72,737$64,438−12.6%
GS-11 step 1$88,005$77,964−12.6%
GS-12 step 1$105,481$93,445−12.6%
GS-13 step 1$125,431$111,119−12.6%
GS-14 step 1$148,222$131,310−12.6%

Pay for common jobs

Median annual pay4Kiryas Joel, NYUrban Honolulu, HIUrban Honolulu pay in Kiryas Joel dollars
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$81,770$73,080$72,066 (−11.9%)
Software Developers$145,830$120,230$118,562 (−18.7%)
Accountants and Auditors$88,900$74,990$73,950 (−16.8%)
Registered Nurses$102,890$139,260$137,329 (+33.5%)

"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.

Check your own offer

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Taxes are estimates for a single filer taking the standard deduction; city and county income taxes are not included. See the methodology.

Notes & Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan Statistical Area population estimates (Vintage 2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by MSA (MARPP), all items (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan areas (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  5. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule (GS) pay rates with locality pay, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  6. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Locality codes used in the 2026 GS pay spreadsheet (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  7. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026 Locality Pay Area Definitions (counties in each pay area) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  8. Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  9. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file: states, 1:20,000,000 (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  10. U.S. Census Bureau, Gazetteer file: core based statistical areas (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  11. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table C24010 (occupation of employed residents) by ZIP code area (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  12. U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files (2020; Connecticut 2022) and Gazetteer locations (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  13. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary files (ZIP code areas 2020; counties and states 2024) and TIGER/Line primary roads (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  14. Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax brackets and standard deduction) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  15. Internal Revenue Service, Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide for 2026 (Social Security and Medicare) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.