on $100k a year, leaving New York
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
under New York, every month
Reading runs on a fraction of New York's budget. Same paycheck, real lifestyle upgrade.
a quick ledger.
$1,478/mo
56% cheaper than New York(vs $3,329/mo)
3.07%
$638/mo less in state tax than New York
vs 10.73% in New York
$6,600/mo
$2,490 more than New York
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$311k
58% cheaper than New York
vs $739k in New York
433k
vs 19.5M in New York
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in reading.
New York has the edge here, logging 171 pleasant days a year.
But the calendar thins out: New York stays 134.7× busier.
65/100
17% lower than New York
vs 78/100 in New York
Closest outdoor draw: French Creek State Park, 9.6 mi.
85/100
15% lower than New York
vs 100/100 in New York
0
100% fewer than New York
vs 215 nonstops in New York
neighbors of reading on the map of tradeoffs:
compare reading with:
