City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Buffalo, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 4.3% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $104,300 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Allentown, PA to Buffalo, NY ($125,431 → $111,301), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Buffalo, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 95.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,875 in Buffalo | $104,303 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,139/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $50,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 81.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 129.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 95.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
82 Strong offer
Buffalo, NY → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Buffalo, NY is in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Buffalo, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Buffalo, NY | Real change, Allentown → Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,543 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $78,091 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,598 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,301 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,525 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $76,490 | $79,781 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $127,850 | $133,351 (+8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $82,120 | $85,653 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $99,060 | $103,322 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.