City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 11.0% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $111,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,000 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Allentown, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($125,431 → $111,119), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −20.2% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,997 in Urban Honolulu | $90,093 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,000/yr.
26 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$3,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Allentown → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,438 | −20.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,964 | −20.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,445 | −20.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,119 | −20.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,310 | −20.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $73,080 | $65,840 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $120,230 | $108,319 (−11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $74,990 | $67,561 (−13.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $139,260 | $125,463 (+23.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.