City comparison
Boston, MA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 15.7% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $115,700 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Boston, MA to Scranton, PA ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,413 in Scranton | $115,723 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
100 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
15 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Boston → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $136,550 | $100,210 | $115,966 (−15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $119,960 | $138,822 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $70,480 | $81,562 (−18.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $82,650 | $95,645 (−9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.