City comparison
Reading, PA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Reading, PA (97.1) and Tucson, AZ (96.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Reading, PA goes as far as $99,800 in Tucson, AZ.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $779 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.5% moving from Reading, PA to Tucson, AZ ($117,284 → $108,455), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,831 in Tucson | $100,169 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$779/yr.
69 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$779/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Reading → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,893 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,095 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,205 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,455 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $128,162 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $47,220 | $47,300 (−40.8%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $123,710 | $123,919 (+2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $76,320 | $76,449 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $94,110 | $94,269 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.