City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Louisville, KY (93.1) and Scranton, PA (93.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Louisville, KY goes as far as $100,500 in Scranton, PA.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY and $1,028 in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $312 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Scranton, PA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Louisville, KY to Scranton, PA changes real buying power by −0.5%, purely from prices.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,518 in Scranton | $99,485 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$312/yr.
67 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Louisville, KY
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$312/yr.
70 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Scranton, PA | Real change, Louisville → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $76,590 | $76,195 (+23.7%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $119,960 | $119,342 (+8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $70,480 | $70,117 (−8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $82,650 | $82,224 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.