Allentown vs New Britain
The short version
- Allentown is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the New Britain area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $206,600 in Allentown and $223,600 in New Britain.
- Households earn more in New Britain ($58,613 vs $55,494 median).
- New Britain is growing faster: +2.9% since 2020 vs +0.1%.
- Commutes are shorter in New Britain (22 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | New Britain, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 126,044 | 76,286 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.1% | +2.9% |
| People per square mile | 7,176 | 5,695 |
| Median age | 33.1 | 34.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19% | 20% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $55,494 | $58,613 |
| Median home value | $206,600 | $223,600 |
| Home value to income | 3.7× | 3.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,317 | $1,253 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.0 | 102.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.5 | 110.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,000 | $77,100 |
| Homeowners | 43% | 45% |
| Top state income tax | 3.07% | 6.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.34% | 6.35% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.6 | 21.5 |
| Work from home | 9% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9% | 7.9% |
| Poverty rate | 21% | 18.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 38° / 22° | 37° / 20° |
| July high / low | 86° / 65° | 85° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 43 in |
| Snowfall per year | 33 in | 39 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 17 |
| Nights below freezing | 118 | 121 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | n/a |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.9 | n/a |
| Good air days, 2025 | 67% | 67% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.9% | +5.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53.5% | +57.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Allentown: May to June and October. New Britain: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Allentown weather by month and New Britain weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,000 in Allentown and $77,100 in New Britain. Moving from Allentown to New Britain, you would need about $77,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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