City comparison
Allentown, PA vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 10.5% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $110,500 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Jose, 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 San Jose, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,458 in San Jose | $90,532 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $2,982/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $84,050 |
| 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
4 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | San Jose, CA | Real change, Allentown → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $102,860 | $93,121 (+17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $213,110 | $192,932 (+56.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $121,700 | $110,177 (+40.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $216,740 | $196,219 (+93.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.