City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 6.2% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $106,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Dallas, TX to Reading, PA ($115,711 → $117,284), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.7% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (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
| Dallas, TX | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,151 in Reading | $106,213 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Reading, PA | Real change, Dallas → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $68,013 | +7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $82,289 | +7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $98,630 | +7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $117,284 | +7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $138,595 | +7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $79,860 | $84,821 (+30.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $120,920 | $128,432 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $75,550 | $80,244 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $98,470 | $104,588 (+3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.