City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 5.6% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $105,600 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Augusta, GA to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,611 in Reading | $94,687 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
52 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Reading, PA | Real change, Augusta → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $79,860 | $75,617 (+20.0%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $120,920 | $114,495 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $75,550 | $71,536 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $98,470 | $93,238 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.