Residential comparison · 13 facts
Scranton, PA vs Wilkes-Barre, PA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Scranton needs about $82,000 in Wilkes-Barre to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Wilkes-Barre, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $88,000 in Scranton.
A few differences
- Scranton is higher on median household income ($50,739 vs $48,515).
- Wilkes-Barre is lower on cost of living index (79 vs 82).
- Wilkes-Barre is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($973/mo vs $1,023/mo).
Scranton vs Wilkes-Barre · facet by facet
| Facet | Scranton, PA | Wilkes-Barre, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $158,100 | $117,200 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,023/mo | $973/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| State & local income tax | 6.47% | 4.57% |
| Sales tax | 6.34% | 6.34% |
| Cost of living index | 82 | 79 |
| Groceries index | 100 | 100 |
| Utilities | $180/mo | $180/mo |
| Median household income | $50,739 | $48,515 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Crime index | 40/100 | 40/100 |
| School rating | 6.3/10 | 6.3/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 180 days | 180 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Scranton, PA · Wilkes-Barre, PA
Questions & answers
- Is Scranton cheaper than Wilkes-Barre?
- Wilkes-Barre has the lower day-to-day cost index (79 vs 82 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Wilkes-Barre equals $85,000 in Scranton?
- A household earning $85,000 in Scranton needs about $82,000 in Wilkes-Barre to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Wilkes-Barre lifestyle costs about $88,000 in Scranton.