City comparison
Crestview, FL vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Crestview, FL (97.0) and Reading, PA (97.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Crestview, FL goes as far as $100,000 in Reading, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Crestview, FL to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,030 in Reading | $99,970 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Crestview, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Crestview, FL 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 Crestview, FL to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Reading, PA | Real change, Crestview → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,420 | $102,480 | $102,449 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $120,920 | $120,884 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $75,550 | $75,527 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $98,470 | $98,441 (+21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.