City comparison
Reading, PA vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 1.1% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $101,100 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in York, PA.
- Both are in PA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.8% moving from Reading, PA to York, PA ($117,284 → $121,785), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.0% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,908 in York | $101,104 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → York, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
72 Strong offer
York, PA → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | York, PA | Real change, Reading → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $70,623 | +5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $85,447 | +5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $102,415 | +5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $121,785 | +5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $143,913 | +5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | York, PA | York pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $102,480 | $91,790 | $92,804 (−9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $114,600 | $115,865 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $75,160 | $75,990 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $96,210 | $97,272 (−1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.