Cost of Living in West Reading, PA

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4%
Overall NAT. AVG.
7%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
23%
Housing NAT. AVG.
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Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index West Reading Pennsylvania National
Cost of living9698100
Goods & Services10799100
Groceries9999100
Health care11094100
Housing7791100
Transportation108106100
Utilities93107100
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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in West Reading is 2% lower than the Pennsylvania average
  • The cost of living in West Reading is 4% lower than the national average
  • West Reading housing is 23% lower than the national average
  • Pennsylvania general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average
  • Pennsylvania state income tax is 36% higher than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around West Reading

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Compare West Reading, PA Cost of Living

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      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$59,063$4,922$1,378$1,772
      Renters$30,417$2,535$710$913
      A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in West Reading is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. West Reading has a median income of about $59,063 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $1,378 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $30,417. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $710 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

      Pennsylvania Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      Pennsylvania 6% 8%

      Pennsylvania Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      Pennsylvania 3.07% 3.07%

      Goods & Services

      Item West Reading National avg. Difference
      Haircut $26.17$24.267.9%
      Beauty Salon $40.39$45.5611.4%
      Toothpaste $3.77$3.701.9%
      Shampoo $1.43$1.2811.4%
      Movie $12.52$12.133.2%
      Bowling $15.56$18.0013.6%

      Groceries

      Item West Reading National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $5.65$5.843.2%
      Fried Chicken $1.45$1.578.0%
      Milk $4.49$4.673.8%
      Potatoes $5.37$4.938.8%
      Pizza $11.67$12.093.4%
      Beer $11.13$10.416.9%

      Health Care

      Item West Reading National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $123.25$125.681.9%
      Doctor $177.40$135.7830.7%
      Dentist $118.44$113.294.6%
      Ibuprofen $10.64$10.650.2%
      Lipitor $469.00$468.600.1%

      Housing

      Item West Reading National avg. Difference
      Home Price $122,400.00$184,700.0033.7%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $2,026.41$2,346.6913.6%
      Apartment Rent $982.00$949.003.5%

      Transportation

      Item West Reading National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $3.66$3.465.7%
      Tire Balancing $68.88$59.9215.0%

      Utilities

      Item West Reading National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $169.62$193.9912.6%
      Phone $195.81$192.251.9%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Kutztown University, PA3,8981043.7%
      Brownstown borough, PA7998515.0%
      Hyde Park borough, PA4518712.6%
      Reading, PA88,3338910.6%
      Alsace Manor, PA335927.8%
      West Reading, PA4,293964.2%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Roxton Pond, QC4,293n/a 
      Geneva, AL4,2928416.2%
      Argo, AL4,294981.9%
      Littleton, NH4,2941022.0%
      Honesdale, PA4,2948911.2%
      West Reading, PA4,293964.2%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.
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