Cost of living in Allentown research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Allentown is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Pennsylvania, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Allentown is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Allentown is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Allentown ranks as the #99 cheapest in Pennsylvania out of 247.
Allentown ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Allentown is $145,700.
The median income in Allentown is $47,703.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Allentown has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Pennsylvania, Allentown has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Pennsylvania's index of 97.
The standard of living in Allentown ranks as #99 most affordable out of the 247 places we measured in Pennsylvania. By definition, that implies Allentown ranks as the #148 most expensive place in the Keystone State.
For more reading on life in Allentown, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Allentown. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Allentown is 102.
The Groceries index in Allentown is 100.
The Health index in Allentown is 97.
The Housing index in Allentown is 76.
The Transportation index in Allentown is 106.
The Utilities index in Allentown is 110.
Living Expense | Allentown | Pennsylvania | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 97 | 100 | |
Services | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
Groceries | 100 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 97 | 97 | 100 | |
Housing | 76 | 85 | 100 | |
Transportation | 106 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 110 | 106 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Pennsylvania, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Allentown is $145,700.
The Median Rent in Allentown is $1,100.
The Median Income in Allentown is $47,703.
The Home Value To Income in Allentown is 3.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Allentown is 0.28x.
Statistic | Allentown | Pennsylvania | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $145,700 | $197,300 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,100 | $1,013 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $47,703 | $67,587 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.1x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Allentown | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.04 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.14 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $12.36 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $18.35 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $43.55 | $39.05 |
Item | Allentown | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.23 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.36 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.09 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.02 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.21 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.69 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.05 | $2.34 |
Item | Allentown | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $106.13 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $75.54 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $110.86 | $99.13 |
Item | Allentown | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.54 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $46.64 | $50.07 |
Item | Allentown | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $186.66 | $167.67 |
Phone | $189.07 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Allentown. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Levittown, PA has a cost of living index of 114, 1.2x Allentown.
West Freehold, NJ has a cost of living index of 136, 1.4x Allentown.
Mercerville, NJ has a cost of living index of 116, 1.2x Allentown.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Allentown |
---|---|---|---|
Levittown, PA | 51,100 | 114 | 1.2x |
West Freehold, NJ | 14,565 | 136 | 1.4x |
Mercerville, NJ | 14,234 | 116 | 1.2x |
Hamilton Square, NJ | 12,244 | 130 | 1.4x |
Kendall Park, NJ | 10,560 | 131 | 1.4x |
White Horse, NJ | 9,710 | 111 | 1.2x |
Twin Rivers, NJ | 8,049 | 114 | 1.2x |
Fort Dix, NJ | 7,904 | 138 | 1.5x |
Yorketown, NJ | 7,316 | 144 | 1.5x |
Yardville, NJ | 6,242 | 117 | 1.2x |