City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Allentown, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 4.6% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $104,600 in Allentown, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,341 a month in Allentown, PA versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $499 a year higher in Albuquerque, NM than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Allentown, PA ($107,592 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.4% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Allentown, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,628 in Allentown | $95,577 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,341/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 21% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Allentown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 105.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 107.6 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$499/yr.
55 Fair offer
Allentown, PA → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$499/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Allentown, PA is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Allentown, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Allentown, PA | Real change, Albuquerque → Allentown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $72,737 | +11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $88,005 | +11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $105,481 | +11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $125,431 | +11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $148,222 | +11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Allentown, PA | Allentown pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $79,040 | $75,544 (+0.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $122,930 | $117,492 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $78,430 | $74,961 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $101,440 | $96,953 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.