City comparison
Scranton, PA vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 7.8% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $107,800 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Scranton, PA than in Tampa, FL.
- 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 Scranton, PA to Tampa, FL changes real buying power by −7.3%, purely from prices.
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Scranton, PA | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,839 in Tampa | $92,731 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
45 Weak offer
Tampa, FL → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
93 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 Scranton, PA to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | Tampa, FL | Real change, Scranton → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $60,120 | $55,750 (−27.2%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $130,450 | $120,967 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $78,990 | $73,248 (+3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $85,470 | $79,257 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.