City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Scranton, PA are 1.0% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $101,000 in Scranton, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $456 a year higher in Scranton, PA than in New Orleans, LA.
- 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 New Orleans, LA to Scranton, PA changes real buying power by −1.0%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,036 in Scranton | $98,975 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$456/yr.
66 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → New Orleans, LA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$456/yr.
72 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 New Orleans, LA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Scranton, PA | Real change, New Orleans → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $76,590 | $75,805 (+25.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $119,960 | $118,730 (+11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $70,480 | $69,758 (−10.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $82,650 | $81,803 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.