City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Birmingham | Wilkes-Barre | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $897/mo | 10.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $123,000 | $98,200 | 25.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $42,464 | $46,597 | 8.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.1 | 100.8 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 87.1 | 104.4 | 16.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.8 | 97.2 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 99.8 | 3.7% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Birmingham, you'd need $99,977 in Wilkes-Barre to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Birmingham and Wilkes-Barre have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Wilkes-Barre than in Birmingham. If you earn $80,000 in Birmingham, you'd need about $79,981 in Wilkes-Barre to keep the same standard of living.