City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.3% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $103,300 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $779 a year higher in Allentown, PA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.2% moving from Allentown, PA to Phoenix, AZ ($125,431 → $111,338), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.1% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,349 in Phoenix | $96,759 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$779/yr.
59 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$779/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Allentown → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,564 | −14.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $78,117 | −14.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,629 | −14.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,338 | −14.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,568 | −14.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $59,180 | $57,262 (−27.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $131,750 | $127,481 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $80,820 | $78,201 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $100,830 | $97,563 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.