City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 1.7% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $101,700 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 $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Allentown, PA to Merced, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.9% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,306 in Merced | $101,723 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
74 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Allentown, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Merced, CA | Real change, Allentown → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $100,120 | $101,845 (+28.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $132,120 | $134,396 (+9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $80,420 | $81,805 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $131,620 | $133,887 (+32.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.