City comparison
Reading, PA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Reading, PA (97.1) and Rochester, NY (97.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Reading, PA goes as far as $100,000 in Rochester, NY.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,237 a month in Reading, PA and $1,256 in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Reading, PA to Rochester, NY ($117,284 → $107,182), while prices change by −0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,974 in Rochester | $100,026 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
69 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Reading → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,155 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,202 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,135 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $107,182 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $126,657 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $62,840 | $62,856 (−21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $122,770 | $122,802 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $80,890 | $80,911 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $86,570 | $86,592 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.