City comparison
Reading, PA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 1.0% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $101,000 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.4% moving from Reading, PA to Springfield, MA ($117,284 → $120,094), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,971 in Springfield | $101,040 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Springfield, MA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
72 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Reading → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $69,642 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $84,260 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $100,992 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $120,094 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $141,915 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $79,640 | $80,468 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $127,740 | $129,068 (+6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $92,010 | $92,967 (+23.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $98,410 | $99,433 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.