City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 2.5% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $102,500 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Both are in PA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.6% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Reading, PA ($110,047 → $117,284), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,523 in Reading | $97,539 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Reading, PA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $68,013 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $82,289 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $98,630 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $117,284 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $138,595 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $79,860 | $77,894 (+1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $120,920 | $117,944 (−5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $75,550 | $73,690 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $98,470 | $96,046 (+16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.