City comparison
Reading, PA vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 4.7% higher than in Utica, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Utica, NY would need about $104,700 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 $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Utica, NY than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Utica, NY ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,485 in Utica | $104,728 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Utica, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
84 Strong offer
Utica, NY → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Utica, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Utica, NY | Real change, Reading → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $77,010 | $80,651 (+1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $113,390 | $118,751 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $79,830 | $83,605 (+10.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $94,300 | $98,759 (+0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.