City comparison
Reading, PA vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Reading, PA (97.1) and Richmond, VA (97.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Reading, PA goes as far as $100,800 in Richmond, VA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,866 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Reading, PA to Richmond, VA ($117,284 → $111,183), while prices change by +0.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,822 in Richmond | $99,185 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Richmond, VA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,866/yr.
66 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,866/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Richmond, VA | Real change, Reading → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,475 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $78,009 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,499 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,183 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,385 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $61,290 | $60,790 (−23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $132,120 | $131,043 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $84,220 | $83,533 (+10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $93,580 | $92,817 (−5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.