City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 5.6% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $105,600 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.1% moving from Omaha, NE to Reading, PA ($107,501 → $117,284), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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
| Omaha, NE | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,602 in Reading | $94,695 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
52 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Reading, PA | Real change, Omaha → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $68,013 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $82,289 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $98,630 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $117,284 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $138,595 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $79,860 | $75,623 (+20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $120,920 | $114,505 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $75,550 | $71,542 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $98,470 | $93,246 (+10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.