City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 2.2% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $102,200 in Allentown, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,866 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Allentown, PA to Richmond, VA ($125,431 → $111,183), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,889 in Richmond | $102,156 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,866/yr.
75 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$1,866/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Richmond, VA | Real change, Allentown → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,475 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $78,009 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,499 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,183 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,385 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $61,290 | $62,612 (−20.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $132,120 | $134,969 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $84,220 | $86,036 (+9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $93,580 | $95,598 (−5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.