City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Allentown | Reading | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,202/mo | $942/mo | 27.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $168,800 | $96,900 | 74.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $52,449 | $42,852 | 22.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.0 | 101.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 99.3 | 99.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 95.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.7 | 104.7 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Allentown, you'd need $78,373 in Reading to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Reading, PA is about 21.6% cheaper overall than Allentown, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% lower in Reading than in Allentown. If you earn $80,000 in Allentown, you'd need about $62,699 in Reading to keep the same standard of living.