City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 9.1% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $109,100 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Allentown, PA to Salinas, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,077 in Salinas | $91,678 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $2,232/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 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
26 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
97 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Allentown → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $107,300 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $135,160 | $123,913 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $83,810 | $76,836 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $134,910 | $123,683 (+21.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.