City comparison
Allentown, PA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 5.1% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $105,100 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.0% moving from Allentown, PA to St. Louis, MO ($125,431 → $109,137), while prices change by −4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,118 in St. Louis | $105,132 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
85 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Allentown → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,288 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,573 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,779 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $109,137 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,967 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $60,650 | $63,763 (−19.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $129,030 | $135,652 (+10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $78,880 | $82,928 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $83,180 | $87,449 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.