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Augusta vs Reading

Metro-area medians — Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area vs Reading, PA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Augusta comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 9 clearly-decided measures.

Augusta is about 6% cheaper to live in, while Reading households earn about 8% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Reading has cleaner air on a typical day — a median AQI of 43 versus 52.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Augusta, GA
$58,044
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$63,158
real value after local prices
Reading, PA
$59,011
take-home / yr · 21% to tax
$60,798
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Augusta leaves you about $2,359/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Augusta
Reading
Livability (CityLedger)
40/100
38/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
91.9
97.1
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$78,535
$80,439
Median household income
$72,176
$78,074
Median rent
$1,243/mo
$1,195/mo
Median home value
$262,100
$281,100
Unemployment
6%
6.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
29.8%
28.5%
Average commute
25.2 min
26.4 min
Air quality (median AQI)
52
43
Avg temperature
67°F
54°F

Choose Augusta for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
Full Augusta profile →

Choose Reading for

  • + Median household income
  • + Median rent
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Reading profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Augusta and Reading on cost, income, size, and education.

Augusta vs Chattanooga→Augusta vs Greensboro→Augusta vs Knoxville→Reading vs York→Reading vs Springfield→Reading vs Pensacola→

Augusta vs Reading — frequently asked

Is Augusta cheaper than Reading?
Augusta is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 6% below Reading's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Augusta or Reading?
Reading has the higher median household income — $78,074 versus $72,176 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 8% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Augusta or Reading?
It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($78,535 versus $80,439).
Which has cheaper rent, Augusta or Reading?
Reading has cheaper rent — a median of $1,195/mo versus $1,243/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).