City comparison
Allentown, PA vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 4.6% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $104,600 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Allentown, PA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $125,431 in either. A transfer from Allentown, PA to New Haven, CT changes real buying power by −4.4%, purely from prices.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,592 in New Haven | $95,609 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
54 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | New Haven, CT | Real change, Allentown → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $72,737 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $88,005 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $105,481 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $125,431 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $148,222 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $79,820 | $76,315 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $133,040 | $127,198 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $94,960 | $90,790 (+15.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $104,490 | $99,902 (−1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.