on $100k a year, leaving Santa Maria
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
below Santa Maria's monthly cost
Reading sits well below Santa Maria on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
a quick ledger.
$1,478/mo
56% cheaper than Santa Maria(vs $3,352/mo)
3.07%
$519/mo less in state tax than Santa Maria
vs 9.3% in Santa Maria
$6,600/mo
$2,394 more than Santa Maria
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$311k
71% cheaper than Santa Maria
vs $1059k in Santa Maria
433k
vs 441k in Santa Maria
field notes, weather & such.
157
pleasant days a year, in reading.
Santa Maria edges ahead with 337 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 32 days under 20°, vs 0 in Santa Maria.
65/100
10% higher than Santa Maria
vs 59/100 in Santa Maria
Closest outdoor draw: French Creek State Park, 9.6 mi.
85/100
2% lower than Santa Maria
vs 87/100 in Santa Maria
0
100% fewer than Santa Maria
vs 2 nonstops in Santa Maria
neighbors of reading on the map of tradeoffs:
compare reading with:
