City comparison
Scranton, PA is about 20 miles (20 km) from Wilkes-Barre, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 19 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 Scranton, PA to Wilkes-Barre, PA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Scranton has a population of 76,119, vs 44,123 in Wilkes-Barre — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Scranton covers about 25 sq mi vs 6.8 sq mi for Wilkes-Barre.
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 | Scranton | Wilkes-Barre | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $933/mo | $897/mo | 4.0% higher in Scranton |
| Median home value | $125,700 | $98,200 | 28.0% higher in Scranton |
| Median household income | $48,776 | $46,597 | 4.7% higher in Scranton |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 105.9 | 105.9 | ≈ equal |
| 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 Scranton, you'd need $99,872 in Wilkes-Barre to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Scranton and Wilkes-Barre have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Scranton, you'd need about $79,898 in Wilkes-Barre to keep the same standard of living.