Scranton--Wilkes-Barre → Durham-Chapel Hill
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Scranton--Wilkes-Barre to Durham-Chapel Hill is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 93.6 to 97.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $459/mo.
- +$9,654
- BLS median salary higher in Durham-Chapel Hill
- 250 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.6:1 to 15.8:1
- 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
- + $10K higher median salary
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 4% higher cost of living
- - $459/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 93.6 to 97.6 (ratio 1.04), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $459/mo ($5,508/yr) from $1,252 in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre to $1,711 in Durham-Chapel Hill.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Durham-Chapel Hill sits #216 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Scranton--Wilkes-Barre is #148/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $9,654 higher ($61,803 → $71,457). Labor-market size: 246,030 tracked jobs at origin vs 295,700 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Pennsylvania 65 (C, #18/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). 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
- 95
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 72
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre to see what you'd need to earn in Durham-Chapel Hill to maintain the same purchasing power.
Durham-Chapel Hill 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