| Index | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania | National |
| Cost of living | 86 | 97 | 100 |
| Groceries | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| Health care | 99 | 99 | 100 |
| Housing | 54 | 90 | 100 |
| Transportation | 101 | 101 | 100 |
| Utilities | 102 | 99 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 103 | 100 | 100 |
| Household Items | 100 | 99 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 98 | 101 | 100 |
The cost of living in Wilkes-Barre affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Wilkes-Barre is 86, which is 14% lower than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.
Housing expenses often consume a significant portion of your net income, occasionally surpassing 30%. Fortunately, housing costs in Wilkes-Barre are 46.1% below the national average. This highlights the region's exceptional affordability for both homeownership and rentals in comparison to the rest of the country. This favorable housing situation allows residents to allocate a more reasonable fraction of their income to housing, resulting in enhanced financial flexibility and improved overall financial well-being.
When it comes to knowing a city, its residents are the experts. We conducted a survey with 8 locals to understand their opinions on the cost of living in Wilkes-Barre. The results indicated that 88% found it reasonably priced with decreasing prices of goods and services, while 13% viewed it as quite expensive, with increasing prices.
Is Wilkes-Barre an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Wilkes-Barre, the median home price is 56.4% lower than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 22% lower than the usual rates. Income levels in Wilkes-Barre come in at $60,954, which is 25.1% lower than the national average.
Groceries: Grocery prices have seen substantial hikes in the last 2-3 years, with some markets witnessing food cost increases of over 20% during this period. Conversely, certain markets have experienced only moderate upticks. These variations in food expenses can have a substantial impact on the overall cost of living in any locality. In Wilkes-Barre, the groceries index is 1% lower than the national average.
Transportation: In cities with limited or no public transportation, residents may find it necessary to own and maintain vehicles, thereby elevating the cost of living. Monthly expenditures include fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potential lease or financing commitments. In Wilkes-Barre, the transportation index stands at 0.7% higher than the national average.
Housing: When everyone's vying for homes in popular areas, it drives up property prices and rents, making the overall cost of living surge. On the flip side, in less sought-after locales, where housing demand is low, prices tend to dip, resulting in a more economical cost of living. In Wilkes-Barre, the housing index comes in at 46.1% lower than the national average.
The Wilkes-Barre cost of living estimates above use a normalized U.S. average of 100 as the baseline for comparison. Housing values incorporate local home price and rental information from the U.S. Census, while all other estimates are AI-assisted and modeled using expected everyday expenses, local market trends, climate, and transportation-related cost pressures. The results are intended for practical city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $84,983 | $7,082 | $1,983 | $2,550 |
| Renters | $40,739 | $3,395 | $951 | $1,222 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Pennsylvania | 6% | 8% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Pennsylvania | 3.07% | 3.07% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Plymouth, PA | 5,986 | 84 | 15.7% |
| Ashley, PA | 2,823 | 84 | 15.7% |
| Glen Lyon, PA | 2,991 | 85 | 15.5% |
| Shickshinny, PA | 637 | 85 | 14.9% |
| Hickory Hills, PA | 408 | 85 | 14.5% |
| Wilkes-Barre, PA | 41,994 | 86 | 13.8% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Lancaster, OH | 41,994 | 91 | 9.3% |
| Shelton, CT | 42,033 | 128 | 27.7% |
| Hickory, NC | 42,059 | 98 | 2.1% |
| Hutchinson, KS | 42,073 | 86 | 14.1% |
| Fitchburg, MA | 41,913 | 111 | 11.4% |
| Wilkes-Barre, PA | 41,994 | 86 | 13.8% |
Here are the best places to live in Pennsylvania
These are the 10 cheapest cities in Pennsylvania
Safest States In The US
Check out the 10 safest cities in Pennsylvania