City comparison
Montgomery, AL vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 8.2% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $108,200 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 $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Montgomery, AL than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Montgomery, AL to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (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
| Montgomery, AL | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,227 in Reading | $92,399 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
45 Weak offer
Reading, PA → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Montgomery, AL 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 Montgomery, AL to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | Reading, PA | Real change, Montgomery → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $79,860 | $73,789 (+23.8%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $120,920 | $111,728 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $75,550 | $69,807 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $98,470 | $90,985 (+14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.