City comparison
Reading, PA vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 5.6% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $105,600 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Worcester, MA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Reading, PA to Worcester, MA ($117,284 → $120,548), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,628 in Worcester | $94,671 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,599/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
51 Fair offer
Worcester, MA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Worcester, MA | Real change, Reading → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $69,905 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $84,579 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $101,375 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $120,548 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $142,452 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $82,810 | $78,397 (−1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $146,950 | $139,120 (+15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $94,070 | $89,057 (+17.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $100,240 | $94,899 (−3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.