City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 3.3% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $103,300 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Detroit, MI to Reading, PA ($117,402 → $117,284), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,772 in Reading | $103,336 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
79 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Reading, PA | Real change, Detroit → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,013 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $82,289 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $98,630 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $117,284 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $138,595 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $79,860 | $82,524 (+26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $120,920 | $124,954 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $75,550 | $78,070 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $98,470 | $101,755 (+4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.