City comparison
Scranton, PA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 3.6% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $103,600 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $779 a year higher in Scranton, PA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Scranton, PA to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Scranton, PA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,570 in Tucson | $96,553 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$779/yr.
58 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$779/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Scranton, PA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Scranton, PA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Scranton → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $47,220 | $45,592 (−40.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $123,710 | $119,446 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $76,320 | $73,689 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $94,110 | $90,866 (+9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.