City comparison
Akron, OH vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 4.0% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $104,000 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Akron, OH to Reading, PA ($111,138 → $117,284), while prices change by +4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,952 in Reading | $96,198 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
57 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Reading, PA | Real change, Akron → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $68,013 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $82,289 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $98,630 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $117,284 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $138,595 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $79,860 | $76,824 (−2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $120,920 | $116,323 (+10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $75,550 | $72,678 (−7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $98,470 | $94,726 (+17.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.