Scranton and Nanticoke receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Scranton
Nanticoke
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 36%
vs52 · Bottom 42%
Growth
45 · Bottom 40%
vs33 · Bottom 21%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
64 · Top 44%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 46%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
29 · Bottom 21%
vs17 · Bottom 7%
Access
52 · Bottom 4%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | Scranton | Nanticoke | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 76,033 | 10,653 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,739 | $57,462 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,347 | $29,767 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,004/sq mi | 3,082/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $158,100 | $108,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,048 | $792 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.9% | 55.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.5% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.1% | 18.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.0% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.7" | 38.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 81 mi | 80 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.7 min | 22.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 39.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.97 | 17.04 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.5% | 8.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 33.4% | 36.2% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Scranton
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Nanticoke
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Scranton, PA · Nanticoke, PA · How this is calculated: methodology