City comparison
Buffalo, NY is about 225 miles (375 km) from Reading, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 4 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Buffalo, NY to Reading, PA takes about 28 min, covering roughly 225 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Buffalo has a population of 276,688, vs 94,601 in Reading — about 2.9× larger by population. By land area, Buffalo covers about 40 sq mi vs 9.8 sq mi for Reading.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Buffalo | Reading | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $942/mo | $942/mo | ≈ equal |
| Median home value | $132,100 | $96,900 | 36.3% higher in Buffalo |
| Median household income | $46,184 | $42,852 | 7.8% higher in Buffalo |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 100.7 | 0.9% higher in Reading |
| Utilities index | 126.8 | 107.4 | 18.0% higher in Buffalo |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal (Buffalo slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 98.3 | ≈ equal (Buffalo slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Buffalo, you'd need $100,118 in Reading to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Buffalo and Reading have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Reading than in Buffalo. If you earn $80,000 in Buffalo, you'd need about $80,094 in Reading to keep the same standard of living.