on $100k a year, leaving Augusta
changea dispatch from
reading
PA
40.33°N
75.93°W
Reading is the Pagoda lit up on Mount Penn (a Japanese-style pavilion built in 1908 that's become the city symbol), old factory bones, and the surrounding Berks County farmland. The downtown food and art scene is growing into the old factory bones, with breweries and galleries opening steadily. Pretzels, scrapple, and Pennsylvania Dutch baking are everywhere. Cheaper than nearby Lancaster.
the verdict
lighter monthly cost than Augusta
Cost barely budges between Reading and Augusta. Pick this one for the texture of the days, not the math.
a quick ledger.
$1,478/mo
2% more expensive than Augusta(vs $1,443/mo)
3.07%
$202/mo less in state tax than Augusta
vs 5.49% in Augusta
$6,600/mo
$167 more than Augusta
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$311k
26% more expensive than Augusta
vs $247k in Augusta
433k
vs 628k in Augusta
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in reading.
Augusta gets 191 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. A real winter, not a brutal one: 32 days under 20°, vs 2 in Augusta.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 9.7× more on the calendar than Augusta.
65/100
41% higher than Augusta
vs 46/100 in Augusta
Closest outdoor draw: French Creek State Park, 9.6 mi.
85/100
15% higher than Augusta
vs 74/100 in Augusta
0
100% fewer than Augusta
vs 3 nonstops in Augusta
neighbors of reading on the map of tradeoffs:
compare reading with:
