City comparison
Wilkes-Barre, PA is about 250 miles (400 km) from Youngstown, OH in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 h 15 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA to Youngstown, OH takes about 30 min, covering roughly 250 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.
Youngstown has a population of 60,048, vs 44,123 in Wilkes-Barre — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Youngstown covers about 34 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 | Wilkes-Barre | Youngstown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $897/mo | $711/mo | 26.2% higher in Wilkes-Barre |
| Median home value | $98,200 | $54,900 | 78.9% higher in Wilkes-Barre |
| Median household income | $46,597 | $34,295 | 35.9% higher in Wilkes-Barre |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 93.9 | 7.3% higher in Wilkes-Barre |
| Utilities index | 105.9 | 95.9 | 10.4% higher in Wilkes-Barre |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 98.8 | 1.2% higher in Youngstown |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 99.0 | 0.6% higher in Youngstown |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Wilkes-Barre, you'd need $91,303 in Youngstown to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Youngstown, OH is about 8.7% cheaper overall than Wilkes-Barre, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% higher in Wilkes-Barre than in Youngstown. If you earn $80,000 in Wilkes-Barre, you'd need about $73,042 in Youngstown to keep the same standard of living.