Columbus → Scranton--Wilkes-Barre
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Columbus to Scranton--Wilkes-Barre is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 93.0 to 93.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $163/mo.
- -$2,472
- BLS median salary lower in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre
- 308 to 250
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.9:1 to 13.6:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + $163/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - $2K lower median salary
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 93.0 to 93.6 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $163/mo ($1,956/yr) from $1,415 in Columbus to $1,252 in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Scranton--Wilkes-Barre sits #148 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Columbus is #199/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,472 lower ($64,275 → $61,803). Labor-market size: 41,930 tracked jobs at origin vs 246,030 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Indiana 62 (C, #24/51) vs Pennsylvania 65 (C, #18/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 72
- Property tax
- 69
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 32
- Income tax
- 95
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 72
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Columbus to see what you'd need to earn in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre to maintain the same purchasing power.
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026