City comparison
Reading, PA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 9.9% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $109,900 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.6% moving from Reading, PA to Sacramento, CA ($117,284 → $117,984), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,901 in Sacramento | $90,991 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
34 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Reading → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $68,419 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $82,780 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $99,218 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $117,984 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $139,422 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $103,390 | $94,075 (+17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $139,640 | $127,060 (+5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $92,110 | $83,812 (+10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $171,460 | $156,013 (+58.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.