City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 14.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $114,000 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from Allentown, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($125,431 → $107,510), while prices change by −12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,750 in Tuscaloosa | $113,960 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Allentown → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,344 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,431 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,410 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,510 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,044 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $60,220 | $68,627 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $104,870 | $119,510 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $71,690 | $81,698 (+4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $75,250 | $85,755 (−15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.