City comparison
Reading, PA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 3.9% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $103,900 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $464 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Salt Lake City, UT ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.7% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,923 in Salt Lake City | $96,225 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$464/yr.
57 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$464/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Reading → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −12.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −12.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −12.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −12.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −12.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $77,920 | $74,978 (−6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $129,600 | $124,707 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $82,100 | $79,001 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $85,890 | $82,647 (−16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.