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You can avoid the high wage taxes of both cities by choosing a nearby smaller town - most are around 1/ or 1.5%...The west side of the Susquehanna has Kingston, Forty Fort, Wyoming, Exeter, West Wyoming, West Pittston all in close proximity to Wilkes-Barre...The east side has Plains Twp, which next door to W-B and Pittston, which close to both W-B AND Scranton...
Closer to Scranton is Dupont, Duryea, Moosic, Old Forge, Avoca, all of which are small towns...
Unless you have a particular preference for a truly urban area, you might want to look around or even rent while you explore the place that fits your wants and needs...Good Luck.
You can avoid the high wage taxes of both cities by...
Bear in mind that is you work within the city limits, but reside outside, they still get your tax. Assuming it works up there just like it does with Philadelphia, where they take the tax right off the top of your paycheck, no chance of ever getting a refund or deductions, or anything else.
Philly's tactics make the IRS look like kindergartners.
Bear in mind that is you work within the city limits, but reside outside, they still get your tax. Assuming it works up there just like it does with Philadelphia, where they take the tax right off the top of your paycheck, no chance of ever getting a refund or deductions, or anything else.
Philly's tactics make the IRS look like kindergartners.
No....in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, only city residents pay wage tax to the cities. There's no commuter tax like they have in Philly. As ridiculous as Scranton and Wilkes-Barre's wage taxes are, I believe even the Philly wage tax paid by nonresidents is higher.
It should come as no surprise that Philadelphia is the highest taxed city in the nation....its run by liberals. That's the common thread with NEPA's problems and corruption...its governments are almost completely democrat.
No....in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, only city residents pay wage tax to the cities. There's no commuter tax like they have in Philly. As ridiculous as Scranton and Wilkes-Barre's wage taxes are, I believe even the Philly wage tax paid by nonresidents is higher.
It should come as no surprise that Philadelphia is the highest taxed city in the nation....its run by liberals. That's the common thread with NEPA's problems and corruption...its governments are almost completely democrat.
It's actually not a commuter tax, (if it were it would only tax commuters). It's a tax on wages earned within the city limits. You earn 'em there, you pay
'em there. In recent years slightly lower rates for people residing outside the city limits vs city residents.
It's actually not a commuter tax, (if it were it would only tax commuters). It's a tax on wages earned within the city limits. You earn 'em there, you pay
'em there. In recent years slightly lower rates for people residing outside the city limits vs city residents.
So if someone is a Philadelphia resident who also works in the city, do they pay the tax for working there and then another tax as a resident?
Like everyone else has said, the people, scenery and shopping are pretty much identical in both cities. Even the suburbs are too similar to really notice. The differences only start getting slightly larger as you move further out. Clarks Summit vs Back Mountain area, for example, where CS has the strip area of South Abington and the downtown area up the hill, but the Back Mountain area seems to just be residential with little strips of commerce here and there.
Like the other people said, just live where you work.
Why not live in Greater Pittston so you'd be roughly 15 minutes from either city? For as much as I really grew a strong disdain for Pittston due to its corrupt politics and generally socially regressive minds while growing up and spending the past 22.5 years of my life there, I must honestly say you couldn't have picked a more convenient location in NEPA. From my home that was literally just one minute off of the Exit 175 interchange of I-81 in Pittston Township I could get to the international airport in five minutes, Montage Mountain in ten minutes, or Downtown Scranton in 15 minutes. I commuted daily to college in Downtown Wilkes-Barre in about 15 minutes and commuted daily to work in Edwardsville (slummy suburb of Kingston) in about 20 minutes. There's also an interchange here for I-476 (PA Turnpike/Northeast Extension) for a 2-hour or so drive to Philadelphia.
You may very well fall in love with West Pittston, the "classy" side of Pittston (Tomato Town). About 2/3 of the borough resembles this:
Having also grown up in a bedroom community equidistant to both cities I can give you a generally unbiased look at each one, as I spent a great deal of time in each.
SCRANTON: Slightly influenced by Northern NJ/NYC
WILKES-BARRE: Slightly influenced by Philadelphia
SCRANTON: A large contingent of very negative residents who lack civic pride because they combine disdain for their mayor with bashing their city.
WILKES-BARRE: After years of kvetching most in Wilkes-Barre now have a "wait-and-see" attitude about their community's impending revitalization.
SCRANTON: Rather spread out and disorganized downtown.
WILKES-BARRE: Very compact, walkable, and easily identifiable downtown.
SCRANTON: Generally slightly higher housing prices and taxes.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally less expensive housing prices and taxes.
SCRANTON: A larger college population than Wilkes-Barre (Commonwealth Medical College, University of Scranton, Lackawanna College, Marywood University, Johnson College, etc.) but still not a "college town" feel.
WILKES-BARRE: Only two colleges (King's College and Wilkes University) but an increasing college town vibe.
SCRANTON: Generally low violent crime. 2009 has been an anomaly with crimes creeping up rather frequently in formerly safe neighborhoods (i.e. West Side).
WILKES-BARRE: Historically higher violent crime than Scranton, but still safer than the national average.
SCRANTON: Polarizing mayor/city council.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally well-liked mayor/city council.
SCRANTON: More historic residential neighborhoods with impressive older, larger homes (Green Ridge, The Hill, parts of West Side)
WILKES-BARRE: More "miners' homes" neighborhoods (i.e. narrow lots, two-story white aluminum-sided homes, little or no off-street parking, many in dire need of new vinyl siding).
SCRANTON: Growing contingent of people trying to align the city as the newest exurban extension of NYC/Northern NJ.
WILKES-BARRE: Trying to reinvent itself on its own merit instead of copying/leeching off of the successes of other nearby areas.
SCRANTON: Underpaid and understaffed police department.
WILKES-BARRE: Well-equipped police department with generally high morale.
SCRANTON: More well-known on a national scale. Everyone whom I meet now in Virginia has heard of Scranton (thanks largely to "The Office").
WILKES-BARRE: Unknown, even to many IN the Commonwealth!
SCRANTON: Semi-frequent racial/cultural tensions.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally becoming more tolerant and diverse.
SCRANTON: Generally down-to-earth, good-natured residents, but as others have said there is a growing contingent of the "snoot" factor.
WILKES-BARRE: People who may not have a lot in the bank (or in some cases above the shoulders) but who are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
SCRANTON: Public investment in parks, downtown, infrastructure, etc., etc. not appreciated, perhaps due to more fiscal conservatives residing here.
WILKES-BARRE: People not only enjoy seeing progress but demand even more, perhaps due to more fiscal liberals living here.
SCRANTON: Generally average to above-average city public schools.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally average city public schools.
SCRANTON: Downtown redevelopment initiatives hitting a "plateau" with a recent rash of business closures (blamed on the mayor for some reason or other).
WILKES-BARRE: Downtown continuing to move along at an encouraging pace (residents don't blame closures on the mayor).
SCRANTON: Wasted potential on the Lackawanna Riverfront.
WILKES-BARRE: Residents now embracing Susquehanna Riverfront.
SCRANTON: 3.4% city wage tax (with people who do nothing but whine about it).
WILKES-BARRE: 3.0% city wage tax (with comparatively few whiners).
SCRANTON: More distinctive neighborhoods with small town charm throughout the city; many have independent business districts and neighborhood elementary schools.
WILKES-BARRE: The city is very compact and dense (40,000 people in an area much smaller than Scranton). There are numerous neighborhoods, but none really feel all that "independent" anymore.
SCRANTON: Higher educational attainment (managed to retain some white-collars despite "white flight")
WILKES-BARRE: Lower educational attainment (Back Mountain, home to most of Luzerne County's upper-middle-class, is now nearly as heavily populated as Wilkes-Barre).
SCRANTON: More poorly-planned and congested commercial sprawl district (Dickson City).
WILKES-BARRE: Comparatively smoothly-planned commercial sprawl district with wider, less-potholed roads (Wilkes-Barre Township).
SCRANTON: Nearer to stadium (Yankees), the airport.
WILKES-BARRE: Nearer to arena (Penguins/Pioneers)
SCRANTON: VERY poorly rated snow removal in the winter.
WILKES-BARRE: Below-average rated snow removal in the winter.
SCRANTON: Many residents hate college students (jealousy due to their own lack of degrees?)
WILKES-BARRE: Many residents (and increasingly business owners) are being more inviting to college students; some even now accept "King's Cash."
SCRANTON: Less nighttime foot traffic overall.
WILKES-BARRE: Very dense nighttime foot traffic on weekends only in two-block area of South Main Street (between Public Square and the theater).
That's where I want to move to Paul, you're hometown of Pittson Twp. You have the best of both worlds of Scranton/WB without having to actually live there. A friend of mine at work lives there and told me they're having some sheriff sales of houses done there for pretty cheap and for me to look into it.
Having also grown up in a bedroom community equidistant to both cities I can give you a generally unbiased look at each one, as I spent a great deal of time in each.
SCRANTON: Slightly influenced by Northern NJ/NYC
WILKES-BARRE: Slightly influenced by Philadelphia
SCRANTON: A large contingent of very negative residents who lack civic pride because they combine disdain for their mayor with bashing their city.
WILKES-BARRE: After years of kvetching most in Wilkes-Barre now have a "wait-and-see" attitude about their community's impending revitalization.
SCRANTON: Rather spread out and disorganized downtown.
WILKES-BARRE: Very compact, walkable, and easily identifiable downtown.
SCRANTON: Generally slightly higher housing prices and taxes.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally less expensive housing prices and taxes.
SCRANTON: A larger college population than Wilkes-Barre (Commonwealth Medical College, University of Scranton, Lackawanna College, Marywood University, Johnson College, etc.) but still not a "college town" feel.
WILKES-BARRE: Only two colleges (King's College and Wilkes University) but an increasing college town vibe.
SCRANTON: Generally low violent crime. 2009 has been an anomaly with crimes creeping up rather frequently in formerly safe neighborhoods (i.e. West Side).
WILKES-BARRE: Historically higher violent crime than Scranton, but still safer than the national average.
SCRANTON: Polarizing mayor/city council.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally well-liked mayor/city council.
SCRANTON: More historic residential neighborhoods with impressive older, larger homes (Green Ridge, The Hill, parts of West Side)
WILKES-BARRE: More "miners' homes" neighborhoods (i.e. narrow lots, two-story white aluminum-sided homes, little or no off-street parking, many in dire need of new vinyl siding).
SCRANTON: Growing contingent of people trying to align the city as the newest exurban extension of NYC/Northern NJ.
WILKES-BARRE: Trying to reinvent itself on its own merit instead of copying/leeching off of the successes of other nearby areas.
SCRANTON: Underpaid and understaffed police department.
WILKES-BARRE: Well-equipped police department with generally high morale.
SCRANTON: More well-known on a national scale. Everyone whom I meet now in Virginia has heard of Scranton (thanks largely to "The Office").
WILKES-BARRE: Unknown, even to many IN the Commonwealth!
SCRANTON: Semi-frequent racial/cultural tensions.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally becoming more tolerant and diverse.
SCRANTON: Generally down-to-earth, good-natured residents, but as others have said there is a growing contingent of the "snoot" factor.
WILKES-BARRE: People who may not have a lot in the bank (or in some cases above the shoulders) but who are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
SCRANTON: Public investment in parks, downtown, infrastructure, etc., etc. not appreciated, perhaps due to more fiscal conservatives residing here.
WILKES-BARRE: People not only enjoy seeing progress but demand even more, perhaps due to more fiscal liberals living here.
SCRANTON: Generally average to above-average city public schools.
WILKES-BARRE: Generally average city public schools.
SCRANTON: Downtown redevelopment initiatives hitting a "plateau" with a recent rash of business closures (blamed on the mayor for some reason or other).
WILKES-BARRE: Downtown continuing to move along at an encouraging pace (residents don't blame closures on the mayor).
SCRANTON: Wasted potential on the Lackawanna Riverfront.
WILKES-BARRE: Residents now embracing Susquehanna Riverfront.
SCRANTON: 3.4% city wage tax (with people who do nothing but whine about it).
WILKES-BARRE: 3.0% city wage tax (with comparatively few whiners).
SCRANTON: More distinctive neighborhoods with small town charm throughout the city; many have independent business districts and neighborhood elementary schools.
WILKES-BARRE: The city is very compact and dense (40,000 people in an area much smaller than Scranton). There are numerous neighborhoods, but none really feel all that "independent" anymore.
SCRANTON: Higher educational attainment (managed to retain some white-collars despite "white flight")
WILKES-BARRE: Lower educational attainment (Back Mountain, home to most of Luzerne County's upper-middle-class, is now nearly as heavily populated as Wilkes-Barre).
SCRANTON: More poorly-planned and congested commercial sprawl district (Dickson City).
WILKES-BARRE: Comparatively smoothly-planned commercial sprawl district with wider, less-potholed roads (Wilkes-Barre Township).
SCRANTON: Nearer to stadium (Yankees), the airport.
WILKES-BARRE: Nearer to arena (Penguins/Pioneers)
SCRANTON: VERY poorly rated snow removal in the winter.
WILKES-BARRE: Below-average rated snow removal in the winter.
SCRANTON: Many residents hate college students (jealousy due to their own lack of degrees?)
WILKES-BARRE: Many residents (and increasingly business owners) are being more inviting to college students; some even now accept "King's Cash."
SCRANTON: Less nighttime foot traffic overall.
WILKES-BARRE: Very dense nighttime foot traffic on weekends only in two-block area of South Main Street (between Public Square and the theater).
Very interesting comparison, SB.
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