City comparison
Oklahoma City, OK vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 7.4% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $107,400 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $885 a year higher in Oklahoma City, OK than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Oklahoma City, OK to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much 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
| Oklahoma City, OK | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.4 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,358 in Reading | $93,147 in Oklahoma City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,017/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,226 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,955 (OK) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,230 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Oklahoma City, OK and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oklahoma City | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 90.4 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oklahoma City, OK → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$885/yr.
47 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$885/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oklahoma City, OK | Reading, PA | Real change, Oklahoma City → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oklahoma City, OK | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Oklahoma City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,780 | $79,860 | $74,387 (+52.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,390 | $120,920 | $112,633 (−8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,280 | $75,550 | $70,372 (−8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,920 | $98,470 | $91,721 (+10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.