Overall
96.8
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
State College, PA
Cost-of-living indicators for State College, PA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 96.8
- Overall RPP
- #134
- of 387 metros
- 85.7
- Rents RPP
- $103K
- $100K national buys
State College ranks #134 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 2.4 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Gainesville
The verdict
State College costs less than 35% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 96.8, 3.2% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 85.7.
- bottom 65%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 100.7
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 109.5
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $103,346 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $96,762.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 2.4 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2018, when the index dropped 4.1 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
State College overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 99.2 |
| 2009 | 98.9 |
| 2010 | 99.2 |
| 2011 | 98.3 |
| 2012 | 96.7 |
| 2013 | 99.0 |
| 2014 | 97.1 |
| 2015 | 99.4 |
| 2016 | 101.4 |
| 2017 | 102.0 |
| 2018 | 98.0 |
| 2019 | 96.9 |
| 2020 | 98.0 |
| 2021 | 95.6 |
| 2022 | 96.5 |
| 2023 | 93.7 |
| 2024 | 96.8 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
State College's overall RPP rose +3.1 points, from 93.7 in 2023 to 96.8 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 72.5 to 85.7. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$96,762
in State College, PA purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$48,381
$75,000 nationally
$72,572
$125,000 nationally
$120,953
$150,000 nationally
$145,143
$200,000 nationally
$193,524
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
D
41/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability D
41st percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Housing-led affordability profile
How State College's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in State College: rents index at 85.7, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 96.8.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Reading, PA, Vineland, NJ, York-Hanover, PA. They resemble State College across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, State College's overall index has fallen by 2.4 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
State College vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
97 Top 35% higher than 65% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
State College cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
85.7 RPP
- Services
Services
109.5 RPP
- Overall
Overall
96.8 RPP
- Goods
Goods
100.7 RPP
What this shows State College's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 85.7 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 109.5. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where State College's cost comes from
Metros near State College's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- State College (State College, this metro): goods RPP 100.7, rents RPP 85.7
- Gainesville: goods RPP 96.3, rents RPP 93.5
- Gainesville: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 93
- Great Falls: goods RPP 96, rents RPP 97.1
- Tucson: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 91.8
- Milwaukee: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 97.1
- Bangor: goods RPP 97.2, rents RPP 77.7
Price Index Summary
Goods
100.7
Above avg
Services
109.5
Above avg
Rents
85.7
Cheap
PA-relative analysis
Services prices places State College, PA toward the top of PA's metros
Among the 16 PA metros PlainCost tracks with reported services prices data, State College, PA ranks #2 - the 88th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares State College, PA only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 16
13th percentile in PA
Services prices
#2 of 16
88th percentile in PA
Rent prices
#5 of 16
69th percentile in PA
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within PA only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for State College, PA: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (96.8 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (85.7 here).
Other PA Metros
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 102.6 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 100.0 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 98.7 Lancaster, PA 98.3 Reading, PA 97.1 York-Hanover, PA 96.0
View all PA metros → Cheapest in PA → Most expensive in PA →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to State College, PA's index of 96.8.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to State College's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Reading, PA
Goods 100.7 · Services 108.2 · Rents 85.4 Vineland, NJ
Goods 99.8 · Services 108.2 · Rents 83.9 York-Hanover, PA
Goods 100.7 · Services 107.0 · Rents 79.8 Salisbury, MD
Goods 96.6 · Services 102.8 · Rents 87.2 Lancaster, PA
Goods 100.7 · Services 107.3 · Rents 93.8 Grants Pass, OR
Goods 105.3 · Services 103.6 · Rents 79.9
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for State College
How to read State College's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $103,346 in State College. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 85.7, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare State College head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in State College, PA?
State College, PA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 96.8, meaning it is 3.2% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 100.7, services at 109.5, and rents at 85.7. It ranks #134 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in State College, PA to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $96,762 in State College, PA. Conversely, $100K earned in State College, PA has the purchasing power of $103,346 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in State College, PA?
Rents in State College, PA are indexed at 85.7, which is 14.3% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is State College, PA getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, State College, PA's overall cost index changed by -2.4 points (from 99.2 to 96.8). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in State College, PA?
The priciest category in State College, PA is services at 109.5, 9.5% above the national average. The most affordable category is rents at 85.7, 14.3% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to State College, PA?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Gainesville, Gainesville, Great Falls. These areas have RPP values within a few points of State College, PA's 96.8.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.