City comparison
Savannah, GA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Savannah, GA are 1.8% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $101,800 in Savannah, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Savannah, GA 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 Savannah, GA to Scranton, PA changes real buying power by +1.8%, purely from prices.
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (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
| Savannah, GA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,267 in Scranton | $101,764 in Savannah |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,533/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,240 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Savannah, GA MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Savannah, GA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Savannah | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Savannah, GA → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
74 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
63 Fair 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 Savannah, GA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Savannah, GA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Savannah → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Savannah, GA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Savannah dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,710 | $76,590 | $77,941 (+22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,220 | $119,960 | $122,076 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $70,480 | $71,723 (−10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,760 | $82,650 | $84,108 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.