Ever wonder how far your dollar goes?
It pays to live in Greater Reading. Here in Greater Reading, we know the answer, thanks to new data from the Cost of Living survey, conducted by the Council for Community and Economic Research.
Our community bested our region —York-Hanover Metro, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Metro, and the Philadelphia Metro—as THE most affordable place to live, work, and play among our neighbors. The average score of the survey, which measures the average price to live in several categories (food, rent, utilities, healthcare, and more) can give you an idea of how affordable any area might be. The average score nationwide is 100. Anything lower is cheaper than average, and anything higher is more expensive than average.
The Reading Metropolitan Area (otherwise known as Greater Reading or Berks County) received a 91.2. That means we are a cheaper place than the average community surveyed across the country, by about 9%. That’s no small chunk of change. Wouldn’t you like a 9% discount on any number of your bills or on any item you might buy?
Our neighbors are much pricier. York comes in at 98.0, Allentown at 105.8 and Philadelphia at 112.3. Reading is not only a great place to live and work, it is affordable and offers many similar opportunities like our neighbors.
Since we know that Greater Reading is a great place to live, but now the numbers prove it. Our dollar goes further here and you can compare us to over 250 metro areas.