City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Anchorage, AK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.5% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $105,500 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,341 a month in Allentown, PA versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Allentown, PA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.1% moving from Allentown, PA to Anchorage, AK ($125,431 → $120,348), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Anchorage, AK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 105.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,454 in Anchorage | $94,828 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,243/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (AK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $60,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | State of Alaska |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Anchorage, AK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Anchorage |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 109.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 111.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 103.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 105.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
53 Fair offer
Anchorage, AK → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Anchorage, AK is in State of Alaska. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Anchorage, AK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Anchorage, AK | Real change, Allentown → Anchorage |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,789 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,439 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $101,206 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,348 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $142,216 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Anchorage, AK | Anchorage pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $79,270 | $75,170 (−4.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $104,030 | $98,650 (−19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $82,150 | $77,901 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $115,290 | $109,328 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.