City comparison
Scranton, PA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Scranton, PA are 7.1% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $107,100 in Scranton, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,028 a month in Scranton, PA versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Scranton, PA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Scranton, PA than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Scranton, PA to Youngstown, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.8% in real buying power.
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Scranton, PA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,414 in Youngstown | $107,051 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
91 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Scranton, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Scranton, PA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Scranton, PA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Scranton → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,448 | +11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,977 | +11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,461 | +11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,138 | +11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,331 | +11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $72,560 | $77,676 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $107,990 | $115,604 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $73,080 | $78,233 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $78,680 | $84,228 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.