City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 100 miles (150 km) from Scranton, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Philadelphia, PA to Scranton, PA takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 76,119 in Scranton — about 20.9× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for Scranton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Philadelphia | Scranton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $933/mo | 34.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $125,700 | 71.4% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $48,776 | 18.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 100.7 | 3.8% higher in Scranton |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 105.9 | 6.1% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 97.6 | 4.3% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 98.3 | 4.4% higher in Philadelphia |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need $81,150 in Scranton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Scranton, PA is about 18.8% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 65% higher in Philadelphia than in Scranton. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $64,920 in Scranton to keep the same standard of living.