City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 4.9% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $104,900 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO and $1,237 in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Kansas City, MO to Reading, PA ($108,173 → $117,284), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,881 in Reading | $95,346 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
54 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Reading, PA | Real change, Kansas City → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $68,013 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $82,289 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $98,630 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $117,284 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $138,595 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $79,860 | $76,143 (+24.7%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $120,920 | $115,293 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $75,550 | $72,034 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $98,470 | $93,887 (+13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.