City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 4.1% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $104,100 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Charlotte, NC to Scranton, PA ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- 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
| Charlotte, NC | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,105 in Scranton | $104,053 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
81 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Scranton, PA | Real change, Charlotte → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,440 | $100,210 | $104,272 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $119,960 | $124,822 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $70,480 | $73,337 (−21.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $82,650 | $86,000 (−5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.