Living in Scranton, PA

Lackawanna County

Scranton's real identity runs on two honest, factual threads this record documents plainly. First: a genuine post-anthracite-coal-industry decline. Anthracite mining, railroading, and textiles drove Scranton to its real historic peak population of 143,433 in 1930; the real 1959 Knox Mine Disaster effectively ended large-scale mining in the valley almost overnight, and today's economy runs on healthcare (anchored by Geisinger), government, and a real, growing manufacturing/logistics sector. Second: Scranton carries real, widely-recognized US pop-culture prominence -- the American version of 'The Office' is set there -- a genuine, honest fact this record states lightly and factually as a real tourism/visibility driver, not an economic driver in itself. Scranton's real, historic 30-year run as a Pennsylvania Act 47 'financially distressed municipality' (1992-2022) is documented precisely as the likely driver of the city's real, currently elevated combined 3.4% resident Earned Income Tax -- genuinely higher than the standard Act 511 default most Pennsylvania municipalities still observe. Lackawanna County's real 2025 property reassessment, its first in nearly 60 years, is a current, disclosed, relocation-relevant fact. Against these real cost pressures, Scranton's housing runs genuinely, substantially affordable, and its 2024 FBI-reported crime rates ran meaningfully below the national and Pennsylvania averages on the primary current-year comparison -- a real, disclosed, and largely positive current safety picture, even amid a real, disclosed single-year uptick in 2024 homicides.

Explore Scranton in depth

Exploring the idea of moving?

We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.

Learn more

Housing

Median sale price$190,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate2.08%

Not independently sourced at the Lackawanna County level this session. Pennsylvania's top state income tax rate is 3.07%. See the Pennsylvania hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Scranton-specific.

Want to know what your budget actually buys here?

Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.

Get local guidance

The tradeoffs

Pros

Genuinely affordable housing well below the national median; a real, currently below-average crime rate on the primary current-year FBI comparison; deep, real healthcare access via Geisinger Community Medical Center (the only Level II trauma center in Lackawanna County); the University of Scranton's real presence; a genuine, honest, widely-recognized pop-culture identity via 'The Office'; and a real, now-resolved fiscal turnaround story (Scranton's 2022 exit from 30 years under Act 47).

Cons

Scranton's real, combined 3.4% resident Earned Income Tax runs genuinely higher than several other Pennsylvania Tier A markets in this project; its own effective property tax rate (~2.08%) runs meaningfully above the national median, amid Lackawanna County's real, current 2025 reassessment; the city's population has declined modestly and genuinely since 2020; 2024 homicides rose from 3 to 7, a real, disclosed single-year uptick; and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport offers only genuinely limited commercial service.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits affordability-focused buyers and first-time homebuyers prioritizing genuinely low home prices, retirees valuing Geisinger's real, deep healthcare access and below-average current crime rates, and anyone drawn to Scranton's real, honest post-industrial identity and genuine pop-culture recognition -- researching a specific target neighborhood's current tax and crime data directly given the real, disclosed source discrepancies documented in this record.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for anyone assuming Pennsylvania's standard 1% Act 511 default EIT rate applies uniformly -- Scranton's real, combined 3.4% resident rate runs notably higher; anyone requiring the lowest possible local income tax burden among this project's Pennsylvania Tier A markets (Bethlehem's combined 1% rate runs meaningfully lower); and anyone requiring rail-based, car-optional living, given AVP's genuinely limited service and Scranton's car-dependent baseline.

Planning a move?

Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.

Talk to a local expert
Last reviewed: 2026-08-25. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.