Cost of Living: Wilkes-Barre, PA vs Reading, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,337/mo in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $4,337/mo in Reading, PA. In the model, rent is about 13.68% of gross in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus 14.83% in Reading, PA, so Wilkes-Barre, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Wilkes-Barre, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Reading, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Wilkes-Barre, PA
13.68%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Reading, PA
14.83%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Wilkes-Barre, PA and Reading, PA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Reading, PA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • Lower home prices: Wilkes-Barre, PA
  • Higher median household income: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Cost of Living Index

Wilkes-Barre, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Reading, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).

Median Rent

Wilkes-Barre, PA: $892/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Reading, PA: $967/mo

Median rent in Reading, PA is $75/mo higher than in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Median Home Price

Wilkes-Barre, PA: $108,000 · Reading, PA: $109,800

Median home price in Reading, PA is $1,800 higher than in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Median Household Income

Wilkes-Barre, PA: $47,970 · Reading, PA: $45,599

Wilkes-Barre, PA has a higher median household income than Reading, PA by $2,371.

Wilkes-Barre, PA overview · Reading, PA overview · Popular comparisons