City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Cape Coral, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 2.4% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $102,400 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Allentown, PA than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Allentown, PA to Cape Coral, FL ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.1% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,382 in Cape Coral | $97,674 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,638/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
61 Fair offer
Cape Coral, FL → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Cape Coral, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Allentown → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $60,470 | $59,063 (−25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $126,940 | $123,987 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $79,420 | $77,572 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $82,860 | $80,932 (−20.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.