City comparison
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $104,300 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $312 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Louisville, KY to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.7% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: 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
| Louisville, KY | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,283 in Reading | $95,893 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$312/yr.
56 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$312/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Reading, PA | Real change, Louisville → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $79,860 | $76,580 (+24.3%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $120,920 | $115,954 (+5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $75,550 | $72,447 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $98,470 | $94,426 (+11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.