City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.7% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $106,700 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.9% moving from Allentown, PA to Sacramento, CA ($125,431 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,704 in Sacramento | $93,717 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
42 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Allentown → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,419 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,780 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $99,218 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,984 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $139,422 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $103,390 | $96,894 (+22.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $139,640 | $130,867 (+6.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $92,110 | $86,323 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $171,460 | $160,687 (+58.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.