$100k salary, packing up from Los Angeles
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
under Los Angeles, every month
In Allentown, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
a quick ledger.
$1,809/mo
38% cheaper than Los Angeles(vs $2,899/mo)
3.07%
$519/mo less in state tax than Los Angeles
vs 9.3% in Los Angeles
$6,269/mo
$1,610 more than Los Angeles
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$359k
65% cheaper than Los Angeles
vs $1029k in Los Angeles
874k
vs 12.8M in Los Angeles
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in allentown.
Los Angeles edges ahead with 283 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 32 days under 20°, vs 0 in Los Angeles.
But the calendar thins out: Los Angeles stays 12.9× busier.
73/100
9% higher than Los Angeles
vs 67/100 in Los Angeles
Closest outdoor draw: Lehigh Gorge State Park, 23.6 mi.
86/100
10% lower than Los Angeles
vs 96/100 in Los Angeles
9
94% fewer than Los Angeles
vs 150 nonstops in Los Angeles
compare allentown with:
