?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Wilkes-Barre, PA vs York, 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 Wilkes-Barre needs about $86,000 in York to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from York, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Wilkes-Barre.

A few differences

Wilkes-Barre vs York · facet by facet
FacetWilkes-Barre, PAYork, PA
Median home price$117,200$119,700
2-bedroom rent$973/mo$1,089/mo
Property tax rate1.5%1.5%
State & local income tax4.57%4.57%
Sales tax6.34%6.34%
Cost of living index7981
Groceries index100100
Utilities$180/mo$180/mo
Median household income$48,515$48,420
Unemployment rate3.4%3.4%
Crime index40/10040/100
School rating6.3/106.3/10
Sunny days / year180 days180 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: Wilkes-Barre, PA · York, PA
Questions & answers
Is Wilkes-Barre cheaper than York?
Wilkes-Barre has the lower day-to-day cost index (79 vs 81 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in York equals $85,000 in Wilkes-Barre?
A household earning $85,000 in Wilkes-Barre needs about $86,000 in York to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of York lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Wilkes-Barre.