City comparison
Reading, PA vs Shreveport, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 14.5% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $114,500 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 $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $456 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Shreveport, LA ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Shreveport, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 84.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,334 in Shreveport | $114,503 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $44,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Shreveport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 52.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 72.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 84.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$456/yr.
100 Strong offer
Shreveport, LA → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$456/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Shreveport, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Shreveport, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Shreveport, LA | Real change, Reading → Shreveport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Shreveport, LA | Shreveport pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $61,850 | $70,820 (−11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $96,680 | $110,702 (−8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $70,420 | $80,633 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $80,080 | $91,694 (−6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.