City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 7.7% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $107,700 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.5% moving from New Haven, CT to Reading, PA ($125,431 → $117,284), while prices change by −7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (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
| New Haven, CT | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,828 in Reading | $107,726 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
93 Strong offer
Reading, PA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Reading, PA | Real change, New Haven → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,013 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,289 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $98,630 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,284 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $138,595 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Reading, PA | Reading pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $79,860 | $86,030 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $120,920 | $130,262 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $75,550 | $81,387 (−14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $98,470 | $106,078 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.