Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Allentown's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Allentown?
Your $100,000 in Allentown has the same purchasing power as $98,087 in the average US city. You'd need $1,913 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Allentown's cost index of 102, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Allentown? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: crime statistics come out reassuring and air quality you don't have to think about, plus 1 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Allentown reports roughly 1,171 crime incidents per 100,000 residents, well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. As always, citywide numbers paper over real differences between neighborhoods — but the broader trend here is on the calmer end of the US distribution.
Allentown's air quality index averages about 43 — comfortably in the EPA's "good" range. No daily ritual of checking the AQI before going for a run, no smoky-day plans, no surprise asthma flare-ups for the kids. The kind of background condition you notice mostly by its absence.
The average one-way commute in Allentown is about 24 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
Reasons are pulled from Allentown's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Allentown gets a handful of meaningful snow days each year. Winters average about 28°F — cold enough for several inches at a time, warm enough for everything to melt between storms.
Cold but workable. Winter in Allentown averages about 28°F — colder than the national norm, mild compared to the upper Midwest. A solid coat handles most days; the genuine cold snaps are short.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Allentown runs about 86°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Allentown falls in roughly USDA Zone 8. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Allentown sits at about 276 feet (84 m) above sea level — low-lying, but with enough cushion that day-to-day life isn't affected by ocean levels.
By the numbers, yes. Allentown reports roughly 1,171 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. The big caveat applies as always: every city has neighborhoods that look nothing like the citywide average. But the citywide average here is genuinely good.
Roughly average. Allentown's cost-of-living index is 102, putting it in the band where rent, groceries, and utilities track the national norm. Not a bargain, not a premium.
Somewhat. Allentown earns a Walk Score of 53/100 — many daily errands are doable on foot, especially in the denser neighborhoods, but a car still helps for longer trips. Transit Score is 40 out of 100.
Roughly $71,365 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Allentown runs about $1,202/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.