City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 8.7% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $108,700 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 $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Allentown, PA to Fayetteville, NC ($125,431 → $111,147), while prices change by −8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,007 in Fayetteville | $108,687 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
96 Strong offer
Fayetteville, NC → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Allentown → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,453 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,983 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,468 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,147 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,342 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $54,350 | $59,071 (−25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $122,900 | $133,576 (+8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $78,560 | $85,384 (+8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $83,060 | $90,275 (−11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.