City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 4.8% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $104,800 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $456 a year higher in Reading, PA than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from New Orleans, LA to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,820 in Reading | $95,402 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$456/yr.
54 Fair offer
Reading, PA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$456/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA 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 New Orleans, LA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Reading, PA | Real change, New Orleans → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $79,860 | $76,188 (+26.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $120,920 | $115,360 (+7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $75,550 | $72,076 (−7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $98,470 | $93,942 (+14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.