City comparison
Reading, PA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 8.8% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $108,800 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $885 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Tulsa, OK ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,916 in Tulsa | $108,795 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$885/yr.
96 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$885/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Reading → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $48,220 | $52,461 (−34.3%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $108,730 | $118,292 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $81,320 | $88,472 (+17.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $84,790 | $92,247 (−6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.