City comparison
Reading, PA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 2.8% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $102,800 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Reading, PA to Waterbury, CT ($117,284 → $125,431), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: 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 | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,800 in Waterbury | $97,276 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
60 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Reading → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $72,737 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $88,005 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $105,481 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $125,431 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $148,222 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $79,640 | $77,471 (−3.0%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $131,290 | $127,714 (+5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $93,010 | $90,476 (+19.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $101,690 | $98,920 (+0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.