City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Scranton, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 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 Pittsburgh, PA to Scranton, PA takes about 28 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Pittsburgh has a population of 303,843, vs 76,119 in Scranton — about 4.0× larger by population. By land area, Pittsburgh covers about 55 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 | Pittsburgh | Scranton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,153/mo | $933/mo | 23.6% higher in Pittsburgh |
| Median home value | $171,800 | $125,700 | 36.7% higher in Pittsburgh |
| Median household income | $60,187 | $48,776 | 23.4% higher in Pittsburgh |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 107.0 | 105.9 | 1.0% higher in Pittsburgh |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 98.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Pittsburgh, you'd need $96,986 in Scranton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Scranton, PA is about 3% cheaper overall than Pittsburgh, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% higher in Pittsburgh than in Scranton. If you earn $80,000 in Pittsburgh, you'd need about $77,589 in Scranton to keep the same standard of living.