City comparison
Providence, RI vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 4.9% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $104,900 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 20% in Reading, PA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,148 a year in RI and $3,070 in PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Providence, RI to Reading, PA ($120,548 → $117,284), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- 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
| Providence, RI | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,369 in Reading | $104,856 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$78/yr.
84 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$78/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Reading, PA | Real change, Providence → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $68,013 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $82,289 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $98,630 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $117,284 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $138,595 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $79,860 | $83,738 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $120,920 | $126,792 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $75,550 | $79,219 (−16.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $98,470 | $103,251 (+3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.