City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 10.6% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $110,600 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Allentown, PA to Oxnard, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,569 in Oxnard | $90,441 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
22 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Allentown → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $107,300 | $130,440 | $117,971 (+9.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $159,430 | $144,190 (+17.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $90,340 | $81,704 (+4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $131,160 | $118,622 (+16.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.