City comparison
Reading, PA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 9.7% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $109,700 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.8% moving from Reading, PA to Riverside, CA ($117,284 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,666 in Riverside | $91,186 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
36 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
99 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Reading → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $71,957 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $87,061 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $104,349 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $124,085 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $146,632 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $102,480 | $114,970 | $104,836 (+2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $133,270 | $121,523 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $83,920 | $76,523 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $133,940 | $122,134 (+24.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.