City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 6.8% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $106,800 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Olympia, WA to Reading, PA ($119,630 → $117,284), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (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
| Olympia, WA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,624 in Reading | $106,810 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
90 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Reading, PA | Real change, Olympia → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $68,013 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $82,289 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $98,630 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $117,284 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $138,595 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $79,860 | $85,299 (−18.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $120,920 | $129,155 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $75,550 | $80,695 (−14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $98,470 | $105,176 (−15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.