City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Allentown | Bloomington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,202/mo | $1,112/mo | 8.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $168,800 | $267,900 | 37.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $52,449 | $46,543 | 12.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 94.9 | 6.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 105.1 | 88.1 | 19.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.2 | 98.5 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.8 | 99.1 | 0.7% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Allentown, you'd need $90,993 in Bloomington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bloomington, IN is about 9% cheaper overall than Allentown, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Bloomington than in Allentown. If you earn $80,000 in Allentown, you'd need about $72,794 in Bloomington to keep the same standard of living.