City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Birmingham, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 9.1% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $109,100 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 $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from Allentown, PA to Birmingham, AL ($125,431 → $107,510), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Birmingham, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,673 in Birmingham | $109,083 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $47,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Birmingham, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 71.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 83.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
97 Strong offer
Birmingham, AL → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Birmingham, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Birmingham, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Birmingham, AL | Real change, Allentown → Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,344 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,431 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,410 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,510 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,044 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Birmingham, AL | Birmingham pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $62,630 | $68,319 (−13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $125,410 | $136,801 (+11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $78,660 | $85,805 (+9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $78,680 | $85,826 (−15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.