City comparison
Reading, PA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 2.8% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $102,800 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.8% moving from Reading, PA to Visalia, CA ($117,284 → $106,973), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.3% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,849 in Visalia | $97,230 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
60 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Reading → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $62,033 | −11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $75,055 | −11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,959 | −11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,973 | −11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $126,410 | −11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $98,430 | $95,704 (+19.8%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $126,170 | $122,675 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $79,400 | $77,201 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $125,180 | $121,713 (+23.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.