City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 9.8% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $109,800 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $815 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Huntington, WV to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (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
| Huntington, WV | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,769 in Reading | $91,100 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$815/yr.
41 Weak offer
Reading, PA → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$815/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV 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 Huntington, WV to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Reading, PA | Real change, Huntington → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $79,860 | $72,753 (+26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $120,920 | $110,159 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $75,550 | $68,826 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $98,470 | $89,707 (+10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.