City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Milwaukee, WI (96.9) and Reading, PA (97.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI goes as far as $100,100 in Reading, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $849 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Reading, PA ($111,310 → $117,284), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,127 in Reading | $99,873 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$849/yr.
68 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$849/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Reading, PA | Real change, Milwaukee → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $68,013 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $82,289 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $98,630 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $117,284 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $138,595 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $79,860 | $79,759 (+29.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $120,920 | $120,767 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $75,550 | $75,454 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $98,470 | $98,345 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.