City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 8.5% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $108,500 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Allentown, PA to Vallejo, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,514 in Vallejo | $92,154 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
40 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Allentown → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $100,790 | $92,882 (+17.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $136,930 | $126,187 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $95,800 | $88,284 (+12.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $203,290 | $187,340 (+84.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.