City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 1.6% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $101,600 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI and $1,237 in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: 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
| Grand Rapids, MI | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,585 in Reading | $98,440 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
64 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Reading, PA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $79,860 | $78,614 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $120,920 | $119,034 (+10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $75,550 | $74,372 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $98,470 | $96,934 (+15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.