City comparison
Scranton, PA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 6.7% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $106,700 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Scranton, PA to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.5% in real buying power.
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Scranton, PA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,651 in Waterbury | $93,764 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
49 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Scranton, PA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Scranton, PA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Scranton → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $79,640 | $74,674 (−2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $131,290 | $123,103 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $93,010 | $87,210 (+23.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $101,690 | $95,349 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.