City comparison
Reading, PA vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 1.9% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $101,900 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Savannah, GA ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,090 in Savannah | $101,947 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
75 Strong offer
Savannah, GA → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Savannah, GA | Real change, Reading → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $63,710 | $64,951 (−18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $123,220 | $125,620 (+3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $79,790 | $81,344 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $86,760 | $88,450 (−10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.