City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 12.9% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $112,900 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Scranton, PA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to Scranton, PA ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,589 in Scranton | $112,881 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Bremerton → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $76,590 | $86,456 (−15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $119,960 | $135,412 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $70,480 | $79,559 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $82,650 | $93,296 (−13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.