City comparison
Reading, PA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 2.1% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $102,100 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.9% moving from Reading, PA to St. Louis, MO ($117,284 → $109,137), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,968 in St. Louis | $102,074 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
75 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Reading → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $63,288 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $76,573 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $91,779 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $109,137 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $128,967 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $60,650 | $61,908 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $129,030 | $131,706 (+8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $78,880 | $80,516 (+6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $83,180 | $84,905 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.