City comparison
Reading, PA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 4.1% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $104,100 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Reading, PA to Reno, NV ($117,284 → $106,855), while prices change by +4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.5% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,074 in Reno | $96,086 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
57 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Reno, NV | Real change, Reading → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,965 | −12.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,972 | −12.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,859 | −12.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,855 | −12.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $126,271 | −12.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $62,430 | $59,986 (−24.9%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $125,710 | $120,789 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $82,370 | $79,146 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $107,520 | $103,311 (+4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.