Moving from Allentown to Philadelphia
Your paycheck buys slightly less in Philadelphia than in Allentown (-4.8%); you'd need about $90,000 to break even. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Philadelphia: $90,000
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $90,000 in Philadelphia, PA to match $85,000 in Allentown, PA ($5,000 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Both are in Pennsylvania, so state income tax is the same; includes Allentown resident tax $1,679 and Philadelphia resident tax $3,175 (inside city limits).
Allentown vs Philadelphia: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,458 → $1,567/mo
- Median home value
- $332,700 → $375,100
- Median household income
- $83,974 → $90,850
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 100.0 → 102.6
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest (88.2 → 94.5 of 100)
Allentown vs Philadelphia cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | Allentown, PA | Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 100.0 | 102.6 |
| Median rent | $1,458 | $1,567 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $58,320 | $62,680 |
| Median home value | $332,700 | $375,100 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $2,248 | $2,498 |
| Income needed to buy | $96,329 | $107,073 |
| Median property tax | $4,702 | $5,016 |
| State income tax on $85,000 | $2,610 | $2,610 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | $1,679 | $3,175 |
| Metro population | 886,418 | 6,330,422 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Commuters who live elsewhere often pay a nonresident rate, and many suburbs levy their own local tax, so unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates a typical suburban rate for it instead.
- Allentown, PA: Allentown residents pay a 1.975% earned income tax (1.475% city plus 0.5% school district). Lehigh Valley suburbs charge their own earned income tax, mostly 1%–1.5% and most often 1%. If you live elsewhere but work in Allentown, you pay your home rate or Allentown's 1.28% nonresident rate, whichever is higher. Take-home figures include the resident tax.
- Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia residents pay a 3.735% wage tax on all earnings (from July 1, 2026; 3.74% before). If you live outside Philadelphia but work in the city, you pay the 3.425% nonresident wage tax on those wages instead of your home town's tax. Most Pennsylvania suburbs charge their own earned income tax, usually 1%; the New Jersey suburbs have no local income tax. Take-home figures include the resident tax.
Your yearly budget: Allentown vs Philadelphia
On an $85,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $50,165 a year in Allentown and $52,969 in Philadelphia if you rent: $2,804 more after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $59,641 and $64,145 ($4,504 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | AllentownBefore | PhiladelphiaAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $85,000, single filer | $20,720 | $22,216 | +$1,496 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,742 | $1,742 | $0 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,155 | $1,155 | $0 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,188 | $2,188 | $0 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,864 | $6,864 | $0 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $17,496 | $18,804 | +$1,308 |
| Total if you rent | $50,165 | $52,969 | +$2,804 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $21,142 | $23,836 | +$2,694 |
| Property tax median home | $4,702 | $5,016 | +$314 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,128 | $1,128 | $0 |
| Total if you buy | $59,641 | $64,145 | +$4,504 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $14,910 a year in Allentown and $14,910 in Philadelphia (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Who moves from Allentown to Philadelphia
About 2,155 households (3,079 people) moved from the Allentown metro area to the Philadelphia metro area in 2022–2023, making Philadelphia the #2 destination for people leaving Allentown among the 149 metro areas we cover. 2,110 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $75,120.
Cost to move from Allentown to Philadelphia
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $310–$600 |
| Moving container | $1,090–$2,030 |
| Full-service movers | $1,830–$4,860 |
At about 50 miles, this move is shorter than the long-distance routes these ranges are modeled on. A move this short is often priced by the hour, so quotes can come in lower.
Natural hazard risk: Allentown vs Philadelphia
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the Allentown area among the highest (score 88.2) and the Philadelphia area among the highest (score 94.5), on a 0–100 national percentile scale. Expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $346 vs $339 per resident.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Philadelphia cheaper than Allentown?
Overall prices in the Philadelphia area are 2.6% higher than in Allentown (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,567 vs $1,458 a month, and the median home is $375,100 vs $332,700.
What salary do I need in Philadelphia to match $100,000 in Allentown?
About $105,800, after 2026 federal taxes and local prices. Both are in Pennsylvania, so state income tax is the same.
How much does it cost to move from Allentown to Philadelphia?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 50 miles: roughly $310–$600 with a rental truck, $1,090–$2,030 with a container, or $1,830–$4,860 with full-service movers. A move this short is often priced by the hour, so quotes can come in lower.
How many people move from Allentown to Philadelphia?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 2,155 households (3,079 people) moved from the Allentown metro area to the Philadelphia metro area, and 2,110 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from Allentown move
- Allentown to New York 2,906 households
- Tampa 192 households
- Harrisburg 180 households
- Miami 177 households
- Orlando 172 households
- Pittsburgh 129 households
- Myrtle Beach 116 households
- Lakeland 111 households