Reading cost of living
Prices in the Reading, PA metro area run at 97.1 against a national average of 100, ranking it #127 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 85.4.
What drives the number
Prices in Reading run at 97.1 where the national average is 100, so about 2.9 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #127 of 387 metro areas. Against Pennsylvania as a whole it is 0.5 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 85.4 against goods at 100.7 and other services at 108.2, so the overall figure of 97.1 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 2.9 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Reading is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 5,960 | $29,430 | $30,309 | $34,900 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,430 | $41,800 | $43,048 | $38,940 |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,170 | $32,300 | $33,265 | $34,580 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,110 | $28,320 | $29,166 | $30,480 |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,050 | $97,150 | $100,051 | $102,950 |
| Cashiers | 3,770 | $28,670 | $29,526 | $31,190 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,560 | $37,460 | $38,579 | $37,090 |
| Registered Nurses | 3,360 | $96,330 | $99,207 | $93,600 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 97.1.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 102.6 | 113.1 | #50 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | 100.0 | 105.5 | #90 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | 98.7 | 96.3 | #100 |
| Lancaster | 98.3 | 93.8 | #106 |
| State College | 96.8 | 85.7 | #134 |
| York-Hanover | 96.0 | 79.8 | #147 |
Reading: common questions
Is Reading expensive?
Prices are 2.9% below the national average, a parity of 97.1 where the country is 100. It ranks #127 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Pennsylvania as a whole it is 0.5 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Reading?
The median worker there earns $48,210, which buys what $49,650 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 85.4 against goods at 100.7. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.