City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 5.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $105,800 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,148 a year in IA and $3,070 in PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Des Moines, IA to Reading, PA ($107,301 → $117,284), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much 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
| Des Moines, IA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,844 in Reading | $94,479 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$78/yr.
51 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$78/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Reading, PA | Real change, Des Moines → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $68,013 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $82,289 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $98,630 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $117,284 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $138,595 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $79,860 | $75,451 (+22.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $120,920 | $114,244 (−9.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $75,550 | $71,379 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $98,470 | $93,033 (+18.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.