City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 3.7% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $103,700 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,341 a month in Allentown, PA versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,850 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Allentown, PA to Salem, OR ($125,431 → $114,684), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,682 in Salem | $96,449 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,850/yr.
58 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$4,850/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Salem, OR | Real change, Allentown → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $66,505 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $80,465 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $96,443 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $114,684 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $135,522 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $74,810 | $72,153 (−8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $131,620 | $126,946 (+3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $87,480 | $84,373 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $131,750 | $127,071 (+25.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.