City comparison
Reading, PA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 10.6% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $110,600 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.3% moving from Reading, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($117,284 → $107,510), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,379 in Tuscaloosa | $110,645 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Reading → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,344 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,431 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,410 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $107,510 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,044 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $60,220 | $66,630 (−16.6%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $104,870 | $116,033 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $71,690 | $79,321 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $75,250 | $83,260 (−15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.