City comparison
Reading, PA vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 11.0% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $111,000 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA ($117,284 → $133,060), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,049 in Santa Rosa | $90,050 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; 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; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Reading → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $77,161 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $93,358 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $111,896 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $133,060 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $157,236 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $99,060 | $89,204 (+11.7%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $148,630 | $133,842 (+10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $94,690 | $85,269 (+12.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $174,550 | $157,183 (+59.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.