City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 6.7% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $106,700 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,735 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from Chicago, IL to Reading, PA ($118,984 → $117,284), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,692 in Reading | $106,733 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,735/yr.
90 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,735/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Reading, PA | Real change, Chicago → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $68,013 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $82,289 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $98,630 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $117,284 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $138,595 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $79,860 | $85,237 (+8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $120,920 | $129,061 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $75,550 | $80,637 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $98,470 | $105,100 (+4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.