Reading, PA Cost Of Living

Reading cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Reading	Pennsylvania	National
Cost of living index	86	100	100
Index	Reading	Pennsylvania	National
Goods & Services index	102	100	100
Groceries index	100	105	100
Health care index	101	92	100
Housing index	50	91	100
Transportation index	110	108	100
Utilities index	98	111	100

Here we can see a simple outline of the cost of living in Reading, PA. As you can see, with the average cost of living in Reading, PA being 86, that puts it 13% lower than the average of Pennsylvania and 14% lower than our nation's average. This simple outline of the cost of living index was formulated using prices of: goods and services (weighted 33%), housing prices (weighted 30%), groceries (weighted 13%), utilities (weighted 10%), transportation (weighted 9%), and health care (weighted 5%). Thus, goods/services, along with housing influences the majority of the cost of living index. The price of daily goods and services is a valuable and reliable number to be aware of when considering the general price of the city's goods. In the case of Reading, PA, the price of goods and services are 1% higher than the average of Pennsylvania as well as 2% higher than the nation's average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Reading is 13% lower than the Pennsylvania average.
The cost of living in Reading is 14% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Reading is 50% lower than the national average.
Pennsylvania general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average.
Pennsylvania state income tax is 38% higher than the national average.

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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

The salary calculator allows you to compare how much your current salary in Reading, PA would be worth in another city. In other words, the salary calculator will adjust the figure you enter for cost of living so that you can determine how much more or much less you would need to earn while maintaining your current quality of living. If you are considering relocating to a more expensive city than Reading, PA, the calculator will tell you how much more you need to earn so you can assess job offers more accurately. The Reading, PA salary calculator is easy to use. All you do is enter the name of another city, then move the slider to your current income. After that, the salary calculator will crunch the numbers for you and give you the information you need about the place you are considering going. Additionally, it will show a detailed breakdown of the cost of living.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$43,499	$3,625	$1,015	$1,305
Renters	$19,807	$1,651	$462	$594

The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Reading, PA as well as the overall cost of living. As a general rule of thumb, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for homeowners or renters should be not more than 28 percent of gross income to be spent on housing related costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses, including debts. The median income for Reading, PA homeowners, is $43,499. This would allow for a maximum of $1,015 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $19,807 which would result in a maximum of $462 to be spent on rental costs.

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%

When you are determining the total cost of living in Reading, PA you will want to make sure you consider both the Pennsylvania sales tax and the Pennsylvania income tax rates. Sales tax come in the form of taxes levied on both services and goods that are sold. The sales tax rates are different state to state and range from zero sales tax to higher than 7%. The sales tax in Pennsylvania is 6%, with the highest surtax being 8%. Tax that is on income by the government is income tax. Different states have different income tax rates and these rates can be higher or lower dependent on the corresponding tax bracket. The state income tax rates are different state to state and range from no income tax to more than 9% income tax. The income tax rates in Pennsylvania have a range from 3.07% to 3.07%.

Goods & Services

Item	Reading	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$17.45	$16.09	8.5%
Beauty Salon	$38.21	$37.33	2.4%
Toothpaste	$2.13	$2.45	13.2%
Shampoo	$0.98	$1.00	1.9%
Movie	$10.90	$10.28	6.0%
Bowling	$4.04	$4.93	18.0%

Groceries

Item	Reading	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.62	$3.80	4.9%
Fried Chicken	$1.41	$1.40	0.9%
Milk	$1.86	$2.01	7.3%
Potatoes	$3.28	$3.01	9.1%
Pizza	$8.76	$9.89	11.3%
Beer	$9.61	$8.90	8.0%

Health Care

Item	Reading	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$122.49	$102.16	19.9%
Doctor	$92.57	$108.36	14.6%
Dentist	$105.22	$92.53	13.7%
Ibuprofen	$9.31	$9.28	0.4%
Lipitor	$412.77	$425.82	3.1%

Housing

Item	Reading	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$68,400.00	$184,700.00	63.0%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,290.96	$1,202.44	7.4%
Apartment Rent	$752.00	$949.00	20.8%

Transportation

Item	Reading	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.53	$2.24	12.5%
Tire Balancing	$48.07	$46.29	3.8%

Utilities

Item	Reading	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$177.01	$165.96	6.7%
Phone	$25.24	$28.68	12.0%

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, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Kutztown University, PA	3,811	102	2%
Walnuttown, PA	587	102	2%
Hyde Park borough, PA	451	86	-14%
Alsace Manor, PA	344	88	-12%
Baumstown, PA	469	89	-11%
Reading, PA	87,899	86	-14%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Nampa, ID	87,896	87	-13%
Norwalk, CT	87,930	143	43%
Fort Smith, AR	87,712	85	-15%
Waukegan, IL	88,159	100	0%
Meridian, ID	88,247	98	-2%
Reading, PA	87,899	86	-14%

Source: The Reading, PA cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Reading, PA Cost of Living