City comparison
Reading, PA vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 6.1% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $106,100 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 $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Toledo, OH ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,225 in Toledo | $106,129 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
88 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Toledo, OH | Real change, Reading → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $63,250 | $67,126 (−15.9%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $104,360 | $110,756 (−8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $77,400 | $82,144 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $81,050 | $86,017 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.