The median home price in Scranton is $175,000, with a local 30-year mortgage rate of 6.9%. A buyer putting 20% down carries a loan of $140,000, generating a monthly P&I payment of $922. Adding property taxes ($299/mo) and homeowners insurance ($73/mo) brings total monthly PITI to $1,294.
Scranton's property tax rate of 2.05% is notably high, meaningfully reducing how much home buyers can afford — lenders factor this directly into debt-to-income calculations. On the Scranton median home, that is $299/month, or $3,587 per year.
Pennsylvania levies a state income tax, which affects take-home pay and effective buying power. High-income earners in Scranton should factor state tax liability into their overall housing budget — mortgage interest may be deductible on both federal and state returns.