Philadelphia vs Scranton
Philadelphia, PA · Scranton, PA
Scranton is 16% cheaper than Philadelphia overall.
Home Price
Philadelphia: $265,000
Scranton: $155,000
Monthly Rent
Philadelphia: $1,350/mo
Scranton: $1,000/mo
COL Index
Philadelphia: 101
Scranton: 85
Median Income
Philadelphia: $54,800
Scranton: $52,400
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Philadelphia has the same purchasing power as $84,158 in Scranton — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Scranton cost 42% more (-$110,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Scranton saves you $350/month — $4,200 per year. Median rent: $1,350/mo in Philadelphia vs $1,000/mo in Scranton.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Philadelphia owners pay roughly $3,710/year in property taxes vs $2,325/year in Scranton. That's a $1,385 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $54,800 in Philadelphia and $52,400 in Scranton. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 30 minutes in Philadelphia vs 22 minutes in Scranton. Over a year, that's 4000 extra minutes (67 hours) of commuting in Philadelphia.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Philadelphia to Scranton, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Philadelphia | Equivalent in Scranton | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $42,079 | -$7,921 |
| $75,000 | $63,119 | -$11,881 |
| $100,000 | $84,158 | -$15,842 |
| $150,000 | $126,238 | -$23,762 |
| $200,000 | $168,317 | -$31,683 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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Philadelphia Calculators
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Related Comparisons
Philadelphia vs Scranton: Common Questions
Is Philadelphia or Scranton cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Scranton is cheaper overall. Philadelphia has a COL index of 101 while Scranton scores 85 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Philadelphia and Scranton?
The median home price in Philadelphia is $265,000 vs $155,000 in Scranton — a difference of $110,000 (42%).
What salary do I need in Scranton to match my Philadelphia income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Philadelphia is equivalent to $84,158 in Scranton in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Philadelphia has a lower property tax rate (1.4% vs 1.5%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,325/year vs $3,710/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.