City comparison
Cheektowaga, NY is about 225 miles (375 km) from Reading, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 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 Cheektowaga, 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.
Reading has a population of 94,601, vs 76,483 in Cheektowaga — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Cheektowaga covers about 25 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 | Cheektowaga | Reading | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $969/mo | $942/mo | 2.9% higher in Cheektowaga |
| Median home value | $152,100 | $96,900 | 57.0% higher in Cheektowaga |
| Median household income | $64,066 | $42,852 | 49.5% higher in Cheektowaga |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 100.7 | 0.9% higher in Reading |
| Utilities index | 126.8 | 107.4 | 18.0% higher in Cheektowaga |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal (Cheektowaga slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 98.3 | ≈ equal (Cheektowaga 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 Cheektowaga, you'd need $100,032 in Reading to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cheektowaga and Reading have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Reading than in Cheektowaga. If you earn $80,000 in Cheektowaga, you'd need about $80,026 in Reading to keep the same standard of living.