City comparison
Reading, PA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Reading, PA (97.1) and Virginia Beach, VA (97.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Reading, PA goes as far as $100,900 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,866 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.9% moving from Reading, PA to Virginia Beach, VA ($117,284 → $108,019), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,908 in Virginia Beach | $99,100 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,866/yr.
66 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,866/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Reading → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,640 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,788 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $90,838 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $108,019 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $127,646 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $63,380 | $62,810 (−21.4%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $129,090 | $127,929 (+5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $79,450 | $78,735 (+4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $89,450 | $88,645 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.