City comparison
Austin, TX vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 1.0% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $101,000 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Austin, TX to Reading, PA ($109,428 → $117,284), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,974 in Reading | $101,036 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
72 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Austin, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Reading, PA | Real change, Austin → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $68,013 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $82,289 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $98,630 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $117,284 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $138,595 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $79,860 | $80,688 (+31.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $120,920 | $122,173 (−8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $75,550 | $76,333 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $98,470 | $99,491 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.