City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 2.7% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $102,700 in Allentown, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Allentown, PA to Charlotte, NC ($125,431 → $108,810), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.9% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,379 in Charlotte | $102,691 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
77 Strong offer
Charlotte, NC → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Allentown → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,098 | −10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,343 | −10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,503 | −10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,810 | −10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,581 | −10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $58,680 | $60,259 (−23.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $135,920 | $139,578 (+13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $92,910 | $95,411 (+21.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $90,620 | $93,059 (−8.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.