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 | Philadelphia | Wilkes-Barre | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $897/mo | 39.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $98,200 | 119.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $46,597 | 23.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 100.8 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 107.5 | 104.4 | 3.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 97.2 | 1.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 99.8 | 2.0% higher 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 Philadelphia, you'd need $83,205 in Wilkes-Barre to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilkes-Barre, PA is about 16.8% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% lower in Wilkes-Barre than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $66,564 in Wilkes-Barre to keep the same standard of living.