Scranton, PA has 569,788 residents and sits 101st among the 387 US metropolitan areas by population. Here is what the public data says about the households, the business base and what that means for advertising locally.
Its principal cities are Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.
Households here bring in a median of $65,158, 19 percent below the national figure. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $187,200, 44 percent below the national figure. Both figures matter for pricing and for which offers land.
A older-than-average population: median age 42.1, 3.2 years above the national median. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%, about the same as the US share. The share of adults with a bachelor's or above is 27.2%, 9 points below the US share. Ownership: 67.4% of households own their home, 2 points above the US share.
Compared with Pennsylvania: income is 16 percent lower than the Pennsylvania figure, home values are 26 percent lower than the Pennsylvania figure, and business density is 3 percent thinner than the Pennsylvania figure.
The establishment count for Scranton, PA is 13,043. Density runs 22.9 businesses for every 1,000 residents, 8 percent below the national figure. The home-services trades that most often advertise locally number 635 establishments, a 4.9% share, about the same as the US share.
| Trade | Establishments | Per 100,000 residents | vs US mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-storage facilities | 12 | 2.1 | 0.41× |
| Highway, street and bridge construction | 18 | 3.2 | 1.25× |
| Concrete foundation and structure contractors | 21 | 3.7 | 0.58× |
| Roofing contractors | 35 | 6.1 | 0.88× |
| Other specialty trade contractors (paving, asphalt, fencing) | 76 | 13.3 | 1.14× |
| Automobile dealers | 115 | 20.2 | 1.57× |
| Electrical contractors | 122 | 21.4 | 0.94× |
| Lessors of real estate (all) | 138 | 24.2 | 0.65× |
| Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors | 175 | 30.7 | 1.01× |
| Child day care services | 180 | 31.6 | 1.40× |
| Dentists | 181 | 31.8 | 0.86× |
| General automotive repair | 193 | 33.9 | 1.46× |
| Beauty salons | 200 | 35.1 | 1.52× |
| Landscaping services | 206 | 36.2 | 1.12× |
| Grocery and convenience retailers | 215 | 37.7 | 1.38× |
| General freight trucking | 222 | 39 | 1.21× |
| Legal services | 308 | 54.1 | 1.09× |
| Personal care services (all) | 309 | 54.2 | 1.23× |
| Physicians' offices | 490 | 86 | 1.44× |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 1,073 | 188.3 | 1.11× |
Index: local share of all establishments divided by the US share; above 1 means the trade is more common here than nationally.
Crowded categories in Scranton, PA: automobile dealers, beauty salons, general automotive repair and physicians' offices. Automobile dealers stand out with 115 locations, 1.6 times what the national mix would predict. Less common here than nationally: self-storage operators, concrete contractors and real estate lessors. Self-storage operators: 12 establishments, about 41% of the national share. In line with the country: plumbing and HVAC contractors, roofing contractors and electrical contractors.
By raw count the largest categories here are restaurants (1,073), physicians' offices (490) and personal care services (309). Scaled to residents, restaurants run 188.3 per 100,000, more than physicians' offices or personal care services. Across the groups, automotive businesses run 1.5 times the US share and trucking, storage, real estate and road construction about the same as.
When automobile dealers, beauty salons and general automotive repair are this common, customers compare. That makes the review profile and the speed of the first reply the deciding factors, and it makes conversion tracking essential so budget flows to the searches that turn into booked work. With self-storage operators, concrete contractors and real estate lessors in short supply, the map pack often has room; a complete listing and a handful of recent reviews can put a business in it. Income 19 percent below the national figure puts price front and center; ads that state the offer plainly and make calling easy do best. An older-than-average market (median age 3.2 years above the national median) responds to search results, review counts and a phone number that is answered; it is less swayed by feed advertising.
A short list of services chosen for this market; the full range is on the services page.
Service and area pages written to answer real questions.
Search campaigns built around the searches people in Scranton, PA actually type, with the geography fenced to where the work is.
Management of the Google listing that decides the map pack.
Site structure, pages and citations that earn organic placement in Scranton, PA.
A fast site with the services, the area served and a clear way to call or book.
Replies to reviews, written and posted for the business.
Scranton, PA has 569,788 residents (US Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimate), ranking 101st of 387 metropolitan areas.
The median household income in Scranton, PA is $65,158 (ACS 2024 5-year), below the US median of $80,734.
The Census Bureau counts 13,043 employer establishments in Scranton, PA (County Business Patterns 2023), or 22.9 businesses per 1,000 residents.
The median home value in Scranton, PA is $187,200, and 67.4% of homes are owner-occupied (ACS 2024 5-year).
Measured against the US business mix (County Business Patterns 2023), automobile dealers, beauty salons and general automotive repair have more establishments per resident than the US average; self-storage operators, concrete contractors and real estate lessors have fewer in Scranton, PA.
A short call, a free audit of your current listing and site, and a plan built on what actually competes in this market.
Data: US Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates and County Business Patterns 2023. Updated 2026-09-29.