Pennsylvania Cost of Living
Housing costs and affordability data for 67 counties.
Average Monthly Rent
$991/mo
Average Home Value
$212,079
Average Owner Cost
$1,010/mo
County cost atlas
Pennsylvania housing costs by county
Compare rent, entry-price context, owner costs, and cost score in one state view. Pin a county, switch layers, then open the full county profile when a place needs closer review.
Counties
67
Avg rent
$991/mo
Owner cost
$1,010/mo
Avg score
43.5
Higher means lower cost pressure
Atlas layers use U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates. Rent, owner cost, and home value are county medians. Cost score rewards lower rent and lower owner costs, but affordability still depends on income, household size, commute, debt, and personal finances. Use this as decision context, not personalized financial advice.
State Cost Summary
Use these state averages as a starting point, then scan the atlas and rankings for the county-level spread behind them.
Housing Costs in Pennsylvania: An Overview
The unweighted mean of county median rents in Pennsylvania is $991 per month, which is 30% below the national ACS median of $1,413. This gives every county equal weight and is not an official statewide median.
Within Pennsylvania, housing costs vary significantly by county. Chester County has the highest median rent in this dataset at $1,763 per month and a median home value of $485,600. Cameron County has the lowest reported median rent at $689 per month and a median home value of $88,900.
The unweighted mean of county median home values in Pennsylvania is $212,079, 36% lower than the national ACS median of $332,700. The unweighted mean of county median household incomes is $71,313; neither figure is a household-weighted statewide estimate.
Before comparing places in Pennsylvania, start with the county-level pattern. Costs can swing dramatically between rural and urban counties. Use the atlas, rankings, and county links below to compare rent, home values, owner costs, and rent burden before opening a specific county profile.
Distribution
Rent Distribution in Pennsylvania
How median rents are spread across 67 counties
Highest Median Rent Counties
Lowest Median Rent Counties
All Pennsylvania Counties
Sorted by median rent, highest first. A higher cost score means lower rent and owner cost pressure within the national scoring model.
| County | Median Rent | Home Value | Owner Cost | Cost Score | Rent/Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County | Over $1,500$1,763/mo | $485,600 | $2,071/mo | 3.1 | 29.1% |
| Montgomery County | Over $1,500$1,683/mo | $436,700 | $1,935/mo | 4.3 | 29.6% |
| Bucks County | Over $1,500$1,605/mo | $445,700 | $1,876/mo | 5.2 | 29.1% |
| Philadelphia County | $1,000–$1,500$1,397/mo | $243,100 | $1,118/mo | 17.6 | 31.4% |
| Northampton County | $1,000–$1,500$1,395/mo | $308,600 | $1,426/mo | 11.1 | 30.0% |
| Monroe County | $1,000–$1,500$1,393/mo | $267,600 | $1,430/mo | 11.1 | 34.0% |
| Lehigh County | $1,000–$1,500$1,383/mo | $300,400 | $1,443/mo | 10.9 | 32.5% |
| Pike County | $1,000–$1,500$1,378/mo | $272,600 | $1,374/mo | 12.1 | 30.3% |
| Delaware County | $1,000–$1,500$1,372/mo | $332,200 | $1,680/mo | 8.8 | 32.7% |
| Lancaster County | $1,000–$1,500$1,357/mo | $301,100 | $1,333/mo | 13.2 | 28.5% |
| Cumberland County | $1,000–$1,500$1,249/mo | $277,600 | $1,311/mo | 15.5 | 26.7% |
| Dauphin County | $1,000–$1,500$1,217/mo | $236,400 | $1,269/mo | 16.8 | 28.1% |
| Centre County | $1,000–$1,500$1,207/mo | $323,500 | $1,249/mo | 17.4 | 34.4% |
| York County | $1,000–$1,500$1,193/mo | $248,600 | $1,362/mo | 15.6 | 29.1% |
| Berks County | $1,000–$1,500$1,181/mo | $257,300 | $1,333/mo | 16.6 | 31.1% |
| Allegheny County | $1,000–$1,500$1,153/mo | $227,600 | $1,178/mo | 20.4 | 28.3% |
| Montour County | $1,000–$1,500$1,142/mo | $248,100 | $1,015/mo | 26.4 | 25.8% |
| Adams County | $1,000–$1,500$1,115/mo | $268,500 | $1,347/mo | 18.1 | 27.8% |
| Lebanon County | $1,000–$1,500$1,110/mo | $242,000 | $1,142/mo | 22.8 | 28.7% |
| Franklin County | $1,000–$1,500$1,093/mo | $249,800 | $1,210/mo | 21.6 | 26.3% |
| Butler County | $1,000–$1,500$1,041/mo | $294,200 | $1,158/mo | 25.0 | 26.4% |
| Wayne County | $1,000–$1,500$1,038/mo | $242,100 | $971/mo | 32.3 | 31.8% |
| Lackawanna County | $1,000–$1,500$1,007/mo | $201,800 | $1,078/mo | 29.4 | 29.2% |
| Luzerne County | $1,000–$1,500$1,004/mo | $174,100 | $999/mo | 32.5 | 28.6% |
| Carbon County | Under $1,000$994/mo | $211,400 | $1,076/mo | 30.1 | 27.4% |
| Union County | Under $1,000$974/mo | $240,100 | $1,048/mo | 32.3 | 28.7% |
| Washington County | Under $1,000$949/mo | $228,500 | $1,030/mo | 34.5 | 25.1% |
| Columbia County | Under $1,000$943/mo | $206,200 | $872/mo | 43.3 | 26.9% |
| Wyoming County | Under $1,000$943/mo | $215,400 | $1,017/mo | 35.3 | 24.1% |
| Susquehanna County | Under $1,000$933/mo | $216,400 | $826/mo | 47.2 | 27.2% |
| Snyder County | Under $1,000$929/mo | $215,300 | $891/mo | 43.1 | 26.3% |
| Lycoming County | Under $1,000$913/mo | $202,200 | $1,045/mo | 36.9 | 29.1% |
| Erie County | Under $1,000$904/mo | $177,000 | $933/mo | 42.8 | 29.6% |
| Bradford County | Under $1,000$901/mo | $187,500 | $847/mo | 48.6 | 24.4% |
| Beaver County | Under $1,000$890/mo | $190,900 | $1,023/mo | 39.6 | 26.8% |
| Blair County | Under $1,000$885/mo | $161,100 | $855/mo | 49.3 | 28.8% |
| Westmoreland County | Under $1,000$879/mo | $203,500 | $975/mo | 42.9 | 26.8% |
| Schuylkill County | Under $1,000$876/mo | $153,000 | $834/mo | 51.7 | 26.5% |
| Perry County | Under $1,000$874/mo | $236,400 | $1,202/mo | 35.4 | 26.9% |
| Tioga County | Under $1,000$863/mo | $181,100 | $757/mo | 58.4 | 27.9% |
| Mercer County | Under $1,000$843/mo | $164,000 | $762/mo | 60.3 | 28.3% |
| Lawrence County | Under $1,000$831/mo | $147,200 | $882/mo | 53.5 | 30.4% |
| Mifflin County | Under $1,000$822/mo | $156,700 | $813/mo | 59.0 | 24.9% |
| Clinton County | Under $1,000$820/mo | $175,900 | $878/mo | 54.8 | 27.6% |
| Forest County | Under $1,000$817/mo | $115,300 | $512/mo | 79.2 | 24.9% |
| Huntingdon County | Under $1,000$810/mo | $183,200 | $804/mo | 61.0 | 25.8% |
| Fulton County | Under $1,000$809/mo | $208,500 | $827/mo | 59.5 | 20.7% |
| McKean County | Under $1,000$809/mo | $104,500 | $710/mo | 68.1 | 26.9% |
| Potter County | Under $1,000$809/mo | $153,100 | $723/mo | 67.2 | 25.8% |
| Northumberland County | Under $1,000$806/mo | $162,400 | $809/mo | 61.1 | 26.5% |
| Crawford County | Under $1,000$802/mo | $153,200 | $767/mo | 64.5 | 28.0% |
| Indiana County | Under $1,000$800/mo | $152,800 | $772/mo | 64.3 | 29.7% |
| Clarion County | Under $1,000$798/mo | $155,700 | $738/mo | 67.1 | 27.0% |
| Venango County | Under $1,000$795/mo | $119,800 | $679/mo | 71.8 | 28.6% |
| Fayette County | Under $1,000$793/mo | $143,200 | $770/mo | 65.5 | 27.1% |
| Clearfield County | Under $1,000$791/mo | $137,000 | $756/mo | 66.7 | 24.9% |
| Greene County | Under $1,000$789/mo | $153,900 | $777/mo | 65.5 | 26.0% |
| Armstrong County | Under $1,000$785/mo | $157,300 | $729/mo | 69.6 | 26.3% |
| Bedford County | Under $1,000$784/mo | $179,000 | $749/mo | 68.3 | 30.0% |
| Sullivan County | Under $1,000$775/mo | $197,100 | $755/mo | 69.0 | 22.7% |
| Juniata County | Under $1,000$756/mo | $217,000 | $816/mo | 66.7 | 21.0% |
| Warren County | Under $1,000$755/mo | $127,500 | $663/mo | 78.2 | 23.8% |
| Somerset County | Under $1,000$753/mo | $150,600 | $772/mo | 70.2 | 25.9% |
| Jefferson County | Under $1,000$750/mo | $139,700 | $674/mo | 77.7 | 27.3% |
| Cambria County | Under $1,000$739/mo | $121,000 | $719/mo | 75.3 | 27.5% |
| Elk County | Under $1,000$719/mo | $133,600 | $652/mo | 81.8 | 27.9% |
| Cameron County | Under $1,000$689/mo | $88,900 | $594/mo | 87.7 | 27.5% |
Compare Pennsylvania to Other States
See how Pennsylvania counties stack up against counties in other states. Compare rent, home values, and affordability side by side.
Start a ComparisonFrequently Asked Questions About Pennsylvania Housing Costs
Which Pennsylvania county has the lowest median rent?
Which Pennsylvania county has the highest median rent?
How does Pennsylvania's cost of living compare to the national average?
What is the unweighted county-mean home value in Pennsylvania?
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Compare Moving QuotesData: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.