City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 17.0% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $117,000 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.5% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Reading, PA ($124,085 → $117,284), while prices change by −14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.6% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,466 in Reading | $117,006 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Reading, PA | Real change, Los Angeles → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,013 | +10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $82,289 | +10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $98,630 | +10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $117,284 | +10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $138,595 | +10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $79,860 | $93,441 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $120,920 | $141,484 (−12.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $75,550 | $88,398 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $98,470 | $115,216 (−15.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.