Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Scranton earns a D, 1005th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania, mostly because of schools. Its schools rank behind 78% of the state's. In its favor, it has 48 miles of trail. 31% of working residents work locally in Scranton, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 6.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. Its National Register listings include Terence V. Powderly House and Steamtown National Historic Site. Scranton is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 88% of U.S. towns.
Where Scranton beats most towns.
Terence V. Powderly House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 35 National Register listings are more than in 99% of Pennsylvania towns with a listing.
Census counts: 2,730 in 1850, a peak of 143,433 in 1930, 76,328 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1856 and 7 maps from 1889 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Scranton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Scranton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Scranton.
Scranton is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s; it also has poverty well above the Pennsylvania rate.
Scranton’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Pinchot State Forest, 2,312 acres with 21 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pinchot State Forest | 21 mi | 2,312 |
| 2. Nay Aug Park | 3.4 mi | 96 |
| 3. McDade Park | 0.8 mi | 93 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 7 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Ransom Township highest at A.
Its public schools are run by Scranton SD. Three of its 30 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Intrmd SchLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 894 | C− |
| Scranton HSLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 1,815 | B− |
| West Scranton HSTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,404 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Against the 6,047 U.S. towns with household incomes like Scranton’s, it is healthier than 60%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Scranton beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 43% of Scranton adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Scranton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Scranton | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10.9% | 5.8% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 23.3% | 18.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.8% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Values fell 2.2% in the past year while the Pennsylvania typical home rose 2.2%. Home values rose 38% in five years, to about $202K, against 23% across Pennsylvania.
The typical Scranton home is worth about $202,000, 30% below the Pennsylvania typical home. 50% of households own their home in Scranton.
| Scranton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 78% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 52% | 44% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,048 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 25.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 84% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns. Each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Moosic (C+) to Roaring Brook Township (A+).
The violent crime rate in Scranton is 3.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Scranton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.1 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Scranton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 28,521 working residents takes 19.3 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
About one in 3 of Scranton’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Dunmore (6%), Moosic (4%) and Pittston Township (4%).
| Scranton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
746 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 111 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 746 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Scranton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Scranton. Close and well known come first.
in town National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
22 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
in town Ski areaMontage Mountain Ski Area25 runs · 998 ft vertical
in town GardenNay Aug Park4 mi Theme parkRocky Glen Park
31 mi State parkRicketts Glen State ParkSteamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Lake Wallenpaupack: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Montage Mountain Ski Area: Montage Mountain Resorts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nay Aug Park: The Mebane Greeting Card Co., Wilkes-Barre, PA., Public domain · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain
8 within 15 miles of the center of Scranton
About 10 of every 100 Scranton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
6 colleges in town.
35 places in Scranton on the National Register of Historic Places.
39 notable people were born in Scranton.
City in Pennsylvania, United States
Scranton is a second A class city in and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 76,328 at the 2020 census (estimated at 75,514 in 2025), Scranton is the sixth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous city in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is part of the Wyoming Valley metropolitan area, which includes five cities and more than 40 boroughs forming a contiguous urban corridor with an estimated 574,000 residents. It is located 56 miles (90 km) north of Allentown, 104 miles (167 km) north-northwest of Philadelphia, and 99 miles (159 km) west-northwest of New York City. Scranton is located in the Lackawanna River valley and was hist…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Scranton.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Taylor (C) is closest. South Abington Township next door grades higher for schools (A to Scranton’s C−) and lower for cost of living (D to C).
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton | #1005 | D | C | C | C− | C |
| Taylor | #851 | C | B− | — | B− | D |
| Moosic | #820 | C+ | C− | C+ | B− | B− |
| Dunmore | #464 | B+ | C+ | — | B− | A− |
| Ransom Township | — | — | C+ | — | A | A− |
| Roaring Brook Township | — | — | D | A+ | A | B |
| South Abington Township | #255 | A | D | A− | A | A |
| Spring Brook Township | #641 | B | C+ | — | A | B |
Ransom Township and Roaring Brook Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Taylor, Dunmore, Ransom Township and Spring Brook Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Scranton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Scranton grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #1005 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 3.1 years of the area's median household income ($65,158 across the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area).
39 notable people were born here, including Howard Gardner and Jane Jacobs.
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