City comparison
Reading, PA vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 4.5% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $104,500 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,070 a year in PA and $2,921 in IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to South Bend, IN ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,671 in South Bend | $104,525 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$150/yr.
83 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$150/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | South Bend, IN | Real change, Reading → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $58,180 | $60,813 (−23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $95,500 | $99,822 (−17.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $77,940 | $81,467 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $93,540 | $97,773 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.