$100k a year, no longer in Jacksonville
changea dispatch from
allentown
PA
40.60°N
75.49°W
Allentown is the heart of the Lehigh Valley, with old industrial bones turning into a quietly resilient mid-sized city. The Lehigh River runs past, the historic downtown has been steadily finding its footing with breweries and restaurants in the old buildings, and the surrounding farmland is gorgeous. It's an hour and change from both Philly and NYC. Cheaper than both, by a lot.
the verdict
the monthly cost of moving past Jacksonville
Allentown costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,809/mo
8% more expensive than Jacksonville(vs $1,679/mo)
3.07%
$256/mo more in state tax than Jacksonville
vs 0% in Jacksonville
$6,269/mo
$385 less than Jacksonville
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$359k
0% more expensive than Jacksonville
vs $358k in Jacksonville
874k
vs 1.7M in Jacksonville
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in allentown.
Jacksonville actually gets more: 198 pleasant days a year. Cold snaps are part of the year: 32 days below 20° here, 0 in Jacksonville.
Noticeably quieter than Jacksonville. About 48% fewer events on a typical month.
73/100
14% higher than Jacksonville
vs 64/100 in Jacksonville
Closest outdoor draw: Lehigh Gorge State Park, 23.6 mi.
86/100
8% lower than Jacksonville
vs 93/100 in Jacksonville
9
65% fewer than Jacksonville
vs 26 nonstops in Jacksonville
neighbors of allentown on the map of tradeoffs:
compare allentown with:
