City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Bremerton, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 5.6% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $105,600 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Allentown, PA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.6% moving from Allentown, PA to Bremerton, WA ($125,431 → $119,630), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Bremerton, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 105.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,641 in Bremerton | $94,660 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,548/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $63,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Bremerton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 129.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 92.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 105.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
52 Fair offer
Bremerton, WA → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Bremerton, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Bremerton, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Bremerton, WA | Real change, Allentown → Bremerton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,373 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,935 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,602 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $119,630 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,367 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Bremerton, WA | Bremerton pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $102,650 | $97,169 (+22.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $146,200 | $138,393 (+12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $88,250 | $83,538 (+6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $107,220 | $101,495 (+0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.