City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 1.2% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $101,200 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Scranton, PA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to Scranton, PA ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (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
| San Antonio, TX | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,775 in Scranton | $101,240 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
73 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Scranton, PA | Real change, San Antonio → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $76,590 | $77,540 (+25.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $119,960 | $121,447 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $70,480 | $71,354 (−9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $82,650 | $83,675 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.