City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 1.3% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $101,300 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Reading, PA ($111,301 → $117,284), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,269 in Reading | $98,747 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/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 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
65 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Buffalo, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Reading, PA | Real change, Buffalo → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,013 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $82,289 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $98,630 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $117,284 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $138,595 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $79,860 | $78,859 (+3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $120,920 | $119,405 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $75,550 | $74,603 (−9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $98,470 | $97,236 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.