City comparison
Albany, NY vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 2.6% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $102,600 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Albany, NY to Reading, PA ($109,810 → $117,284), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.6% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- 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
| Albany, NY | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,483 in Reading | $102,582 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
77 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Reading, PA | Real change, Albany → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $68,013 | +9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $82,289 | +9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $98,630 | +9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $117,284 | +9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $138,595 | +9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $79,860 | $81,922 (+3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $120,920 | $124,042 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $75,550 | $77,501 (−8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $98,470 | $101,012 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.