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 | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,202/mo | $1,235/mo | 2.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $168,800 | $235,000 | 28.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $52,449 | $60,440 | 13.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 93.7 | 97.7 | 4.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 89.9 | 106.5 | 15.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 82.5 | 97.3 | 15.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 85.5 | 90.9 | 6.0% lower 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 $107,787 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Allentown, PA is about 7.2% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Allentown than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Allentown, you'd need about $86,230 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.