City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Allentown, PA (100.0) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Allentown, PA goes as far as $100,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Allentown, PA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.6% moving from Allentown, PA to Port St. Lucie, FL ($125,431 → $113,356), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.9% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,260 in Port St. Lucie | $99,741 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
68 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Allentown, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Allentown → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $65,735 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $79,533 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $95,326 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $113,356 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $133,953 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $53,610 | $53,471 (−32.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $128,510 | $128,177 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $79,430 | $79,224 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $82,090 | $81,877 (−19.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.