$100k salary, packing up from Sacramento
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
less monthly outlay than Sacramento
Move to Allentown and the monthly math gets easier. Sacramento's rent is the headline; Allentown's is a footnote.
a quick ledger.
$1,809/mo
19% cheaper than Sacramento(vs $2,226/mo)
3.07%
$519/mo less in state tax than Sacramento
vs 9.3% in Sacramento
$6,269/mo
$937 more than Sacramento
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$359k
39% cheaper than Sacramento
vs $589k in Sacramento
874k
vs 2.4M in Sacramento
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in allentown.
Sacramento actually gets more: 211 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 32 days below 20° vs Sacramento's 0.
Sacramento hosts 3.1× more events.
73/100
3% lower than Sacramento
vs 75/100 in Sacramento
Closest outdoor draw: Lehigh Gorge State Park, 23.6 mi.
86/100
12% lower than Sacramento
vs 98/100 in Sacramento
9
68% fewer than Sacramento
vs 28 nonstops in Sacramento
neighbors of allentown on the map of tradeoffs:
compare allentown with:
