City comparison
Reading, PA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 3.4% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $103,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,237 a month in Reading, PA and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.8% moving from Reading, PA to Spokane, WA ($117,284 → $106,991), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,386 in Spokane | $96,725 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
59 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Reading → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,044 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,068 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,974 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,991 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $126,432 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $98,800 | $95,565 (+19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $130,690 | $126,410 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $86,350 | $83,522 (+10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $111,750 | $108,091 (+9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.