City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 7.3% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $107,300 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.9% moving from Modesto, CA to Reading, PA ($133,060 → $117,284), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,230 in Reading | $107,261 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
91 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
48 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Reading, PA | Real change, Modesto → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $68,013 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $82,289 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $98,630 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $117,284 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $138,595 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $102,480 | — |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $120,920 | $129,701 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $75,550 | $81,036 (−3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $98,470 | $105,620 (−20.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.