City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 4.3% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $104,300 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.8% moving from Huntsville, AL to Reading, PA ($110,847 → $117,284), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,285 in Reading | $95,891 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
56 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Reading, PA | Real change, Huntsville → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $68,013 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $82,289 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $98,630 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $117,284 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $138,595 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $79,860 | $76,579 (+23.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $120,920 | $115,952 (−9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $75,550 | $72,446 (−8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $98,470 | $94,424 (+22.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.