City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 7.7% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $107,700 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,316 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Baltimore, MD to Reading, PA ($121,785 → $117,284), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,892 in Reading | $107,652 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,316/yr.
93 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,316/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Reading, PA | Real change, Baltimore → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $68,013 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $82,289 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $98,630 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $117,284 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $138,595 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $79,860 | $85,971 (+12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $120,920 | $130,173 (−6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $75,550 | $81,331 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $98,470 | $106,005 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.