City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 8.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $108,800 in Allentown, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,341 a month in Allentown, PA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from Allentown, PA to Omaha, NE ($125,431 → $107,501), while prices change by −8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,940 in Omaha | $108,766 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
96 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Allentown → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,339 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,425 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,402 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,501 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,033 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $62,670 | $68,164 (−13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $125,220 | $136,197 (+10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $77,030 | $83,783 (+6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $84,600 | $92,016 (−9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.