Cost of Living: Allentown, PA vs Wilkes-Barre, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,337/mo in Allentown, PA versus $4,337/mo in Wilkes-Barre, PA. In the model, rent is about 18.5% of gross in Allentown, PA versus 13.68% in Wilkes-Barre, PA, so Wilkes-Barre, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Allentown, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Wilkes-Barre, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Allentown, PA
18.5%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Wilkes-Barre, PA
13.68%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Allentown, PA and Wilkes-Barre, PA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • Lower home prices: Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • Higher median household income: Allentown, PA

Cost of Living Index

Allentown, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Wilkes-Barre, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).

Median Rent

Allentown, PA: $1,206/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Wilkes-Barre, PA: $892/mo

Median rent in Allentown, PA is $314/mo higher than in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Median Home Price

Allentown, PA: $188,900 · Wilkes-Barre, PA: $108,000

Median home price in Allentown, PA is $80,900 higher than in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Median Household Income

Allentown, PA: $53,403 · Wilkes-Barre, PA: $47,970

Allentown, PA has a higher median household income than Wilkes-Barre, PA by $5,433.

Allentown, PA overview · Wilkes-Barre, PA overview · Popular comparisons