City comparison
Houston, TX vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 1.6% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $101,600 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.5% moving from Houston, TX to Reading, PA ($122,749 → $117,284), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,409 in Reading | $101,617 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
74 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Reading, PA | Real change, Houston → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $68,013 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $82,289 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $98,630 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $117,284 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $138,595 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $79,860 | $81,151 (+25.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $120,920 | $122,875 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $75,550 | $76,771 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $98,470 | $100,062 (+0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.