City comparison
Fayetteville, AR vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 6.2% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $106,200 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $617 a year higher in Fayetteville, AR than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Fayetteville, AR to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (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
| Fayetteville, AR | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,247 in Reading | $94,120 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$617/yr.
50 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$617/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, AR to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | Reading, PA | Real change, Fayetteville → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,010 | $79,860 | $75,164 (+23.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $120,920 | $113,810 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $75,550 | $71,108 (−7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $98,470 | $92,680 (+19.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.