City comparison
Reading, PA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 12.3% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $112,300 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.5% moving from Reading, PA to Salinas, CA ($117,284 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,345 in Salinas | $89,012 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $2,232/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% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; 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; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Reading → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $77,161 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $93,358 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $111,896 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $133,060 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $157,236 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $100,220 | $89,207 (+11.7%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $135,160 | $120,308 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $83,810 | $74,601 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $134,910 | $120,086 (+22.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.