City comparison
Columbus, 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 1.7% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $101,700 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,194 a month in Columbus, OH and $1,237 in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.6% moving from Columbus, OH to Reading, PA ($111,065 → $117,284), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,667 in Reading | $98,361 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
64 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Columbus, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Reading, PA | Real change, Columbus → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $68,013 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $82,289 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $98,630 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $117,284 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $138,595 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $79,860 | $78,551 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $120,920 | $118,938 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $75,550 | $74,312 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $98,470 | $96,856 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.