$100k salary, packing up from Lafayette
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 Lafayette
Allentown costs more than Lafayette, and you'll feel it. The upside has to come from somewhere other than your budget.
a quick ledger.
$1,809/mo
36% more expensive than Lafayette(vs $1,332/mo)
3.07%
$6/mo more in state tax than Lafayette
vs 3% in Lafayette
$6,269/mo
$482 less than Lafayette
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$359k
80% more expensive than Lafayette
vs $200k in Lafayette
874k
vs 414k in Lafayette
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in allentown.
Lafayette gets 211 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. A real winter, not a brutal one: 32 days under 20°, vs 0 in Lafayette.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 5.4× more on the calendar than Lafayette.
73/100
70% higher than Lafayette
vs 43/100 in Lafayette
Closest outdoor draw: Lehigh Gorge State Park, 23.6 mi.
86/100
1% higher than Lafayette
vs 85/100 in Lafayette
9
200% more than Lafayette
vs 3 nonstops in Lafayette
cities that play in allentown's register:
compare allentown with:
