City comparison
Reading, PA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 14.3% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $114,300 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,000 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.3% moving from Reading, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($117,284 → $111,119), while prices change by +14.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.1% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,322 in Urban Honolulu | $87,472 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,000/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Reading → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $64,438 | −17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,964 | −17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $93,445 | −17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $111,119 | −17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $131,310 | −17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $73,080 | $63,925 (−20.0%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $120,230 | $105,168 (−13.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $74,990 | $65,595 (−13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $139,260 | $121,814 (+23.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.