City comparison
Reading, PA vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 3.3% higher than in Tallahassee, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tallahassee, FL would need about $103,300 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,237 a month in Reading, PA and $1,204 in Tallahassee, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Tallahassee, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Tallahassee, FL ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,764 in Tallahassee | $103,344 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
Tallahassee, FL → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tallahassee, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Reading → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $55,020 | $56,860 (−28.8%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $121,800 | $125,873 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $61,840 | $63,908 (−15.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $79,430 | $82,086 (−16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.