City comparison
Longview, TX vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 8.5% higher than in Longview, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Longview, TX would need about $108,500 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,013 in Longview, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 15% in Longview, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Longview, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Longview, TX to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Longview, TX: price level 89.5 (much 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
| Longview, TX | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.5 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,465 in Reading | $92,196 in Longview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/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 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,150 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Longview, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Longview, TX and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Longview | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 66.7 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.5 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.5 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Longview, TX → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
44 Weak offer
Reading, PA → Longview, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Longview, TX 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 Longview, TX to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Longview, TX | Reading, PA | Real change, Longview → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Longview, TX | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Longview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $79,860 | $73,627 (+22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $106,360 | $120,920 | $111,483 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,060 | $75,550 | $69,654 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,330 | $98,470 | $90,785 (+13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.