City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kiryas Joel, NY are 9.6% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $109,600 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 $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Kiryas Joel, NY and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.7% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to Visalia, CA ($125,431 → $106,973), while prices change by −8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (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 | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,229 in Visalia | $109,614 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
99 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Visalia, CA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,033 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,055 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,959 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,973 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,410 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $98,430 | $107,893 (+31.9%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $126,170 | $138,300 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $79,400 | $87,033 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $125,180 | $137,215 (+33.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.