City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 4.7% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $104,700 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Allentown, PA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.5% moving from Allentown, PA to Columbus, OH ($125,431 → $111,065), while prices change by −4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,500 in Columbus | $104,713 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
83 Strong offer
Columbus, OH → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Columbus, OH | Real change, Allentown → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,406 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,926 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,400 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,065 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,245 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $78,150 | $81,833 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $122,340 | $128,105 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $81,700 | $85,550 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $83,900 | $87,854 (−13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.