City comparison
Reading, PA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 11.1% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $111,100 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Reading, PA to Youngstown, OH ($117,284 → $111,138), while prices change by −10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,041 in Youngstown | $111,060 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Reading → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,448 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,977 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,461 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,138 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,331 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $72,560 | $80,585 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $107,990 | $119,934 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $73,080 | $81,163 (+7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $78,680 | $87,382 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.