City comparison
Reading, PA is about 70 miles (125 km) from Scranton, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 min 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 Reading, PA to Scranton, PA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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.
Reading has a population of 94,601, vs 76,119 in Scranton — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Scranton covers about 25 sq mi vs 9.8 sq mi for Reading.
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 | Reading | Scranton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $942/mo | $933/mo | 1.0% higher in Reading |
| Median home value | $96,900 | $125,700 | 29.7% higher in Scranton |
| Median household income | $42,852 | $48,776 | 13.8% higher in Scranton |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 107.4 | 105.9 | 1.4% higher in Reading |
| 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 Reading, you'd need $92,234 in Scranton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Scranton, PA is about 7.8% cheaper overall than Reading, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% higher in Reading than in Scranton. If you earn $80,000 in Reading, you'd need about $73,788 in Scranton to keep the same standard of living.