Residential comparison · 13 facts
Philadelphia, PA vs Reading, PA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Philadelphia needs about $69,500 in Reading to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Reading, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $101,000 in Philadelphia.
A few differences
- Philadelphia is lower on property tax rate (0.95% vs 1.5%).
- Reading is lower on sales tax (6.34% vs 8%).
- Reading is lower on groceries index (100 vs 104).
Philadelphia vs Reading · facet by facet
| Facet | Philadelphia, PA | Reading, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $230,000 | $121,300 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,900/mo | $1,102/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.95% | 1.5% |
| State & local income tax | 6.82% | 4.57% |
| Sales tax | 8% | 6.34% |
| Cost of living index | 101 | 81 |
| Groceries index | 104 | 100 |
| Utilities | $175/mo | $180/mo |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $44,091 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 3.4% |
| Crime index | 60/100 | 40/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 6.3/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 207 days | 180 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Philadelphia, PA · Reading, PA
Questions & answers
- Is Philadelphia cheaper than Reading?
- Reading has the lower day-to-day cost index (81 vs 101 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Reading equals $85,000 in Philadelphia?
- A household earning $85,000 in Philadelphia needs about $69,500 in Reading to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Reading lifestyle costs about $101,000 in Philadelphia.