City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 5.3% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $105,300 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Memphis, TN to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,295 in Reading | $94,971 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
53 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Reading, PA | Real change, Memphis → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $79,860 | $75,844 (+23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $120,920 | $114,839 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $75,550 | $71,751 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $98,470 | $93,518 (+14.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.