Cost of Living in Pennsylvania

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Pennsylvania from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 16 metro areas.

Reviewed byPlaincost Editorial, Cost Of Living Editorial Team · June 9, 2026

97.6
Statewide RPP: #24
of 51 states by cost: 85.1
Rents RPP: 16
Metro areas

The verdict

Pennsylvania costs less than 47% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 97.6, 2.4% below the national average.

97.6
statewide cost index (US average = 100): #24
of 51 states by overall cost: bottom 53%
nationally, among all states: 85.1
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $102,488 when earned in Pennsylvania.

Reading the Pennsylvania Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Pennsylvania's statewide Regional Price Parity at 97.6 for the 2024 data year, 2.4% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's services line runs hottest at 109.3, while rents offer the biggest relief at 85.1. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Pennsylvania captures 16 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD leads on cost at 102.6, while Johnstown, PA sits at the opposite end at 85.9 — a gap of 16.6 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 99.4, for services 109.3, and for rents 85.1 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Pennsylvania's statewide index has held steady within 1.6 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $102,488 of national buying power when earned inside Pennsylvania, and a household relocating here would need roughly $97,572 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

97.6

Overall

99.4

Goods

109.3

Services

85.1

Rents

Pennsylvania vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

98 Top 47% higher than 53% of 51 US states

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. 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

Most Expensive in Pennsylvania → Cheapest in Pennsylvania →

Metro areas in Pennsylvania, ranked by cost

#	Metro area	Overall	Goods	Services	Rents
1	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington	102.6	96.8	114.4	113.1
2	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton	100.0	100.6	107.6	105.5
3	Harrisburg-Carlisle	98.7	100.7	108.1	96.3
4	Lancaster	98.3	100.7	107.3	93.8
5	Reading	97.1	100.7	108.2	85.4
6	State College	96.8	100.7	109.5	85.7
7	York-Hanover	96.0	100.7	107.0	79.8
8	Gettysburg	95.4	100.7	107.0	73.9
9	Pittsburgh	94.7	100.7	107.7	72.0
10	Chambersburg	94.6	100.7	108.3	71.9
11	Scranton--Wilkes-Barre	93.6	100.7	106.5	67.0
12	Lebanon	93.2	100.7	108.4	66.0
13	Williamsport	92.3	100.7	107.5	64.4
14	Erie	91.0	100.7	106.8	56.8
15	Altoona	89.5	100.7	107.7	55.0
16	Johnstown	85.9	100.7	108.9	42.3

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year	Overall	Goods	Services	Rents
2008	99.2	101.8	109.0	86.6
2009	99.5	101.7	111.9	86.8
2010	98.9	99.9	110.3	88.5
2011	98.4	100.4	113.7	88.7
2012	98.0	99.7	110.1	88.1
2013	97.8	98.2	110.4	89.0
2014	97.2	98.4	102.3	88.7
2015	98.1	100.5	103.6	88.9
2016	97.8	100.3	105.3	87.9
2017	99.1	99.9	108.4	87.9
2018	98.2	99.7	111.4	87.7
2019	98.0	97.1	112.6	86.5
2020	97.7	97.4	109.0	86.8
2021	96.1	95.3	106.1	86.7
2022	96.3	96.9	109.8	86.3
2023	97.4	98.4	118.3	85.8
2024	97.6	99.4	109.3	85.1

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026

Official BEA data on the most affordable areas

Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings

What drives high costs and how to cope

Cost of Living vs Wages

Where your dollar goes furthest

Understanding Regional Price Parities

How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Pennsylvania? ▼

Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 97.6, meaning it is 2.4% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 99.4, services at 109.3, and rents at 85.1.

What salary in Pennsylvania equals $100K nationally? ▼

To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $97,572 in Pennsylvania. Conversely, $100K earned in Pennsylvania has the purchasing power of $102,488 at the national average.

Is housing expensive in Pennsylvania? ▼

Rents in Pennsylvania are indexed at 85.1, which is 14.9% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.

Which is the most expensive metro in Pennsylvania? ▼

The most expensive metro area in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD with an RPP of 102.6. The most affordable is Johnstown, PA at 85.9. There are 16 metro areas in Pennsylvania with BEA price data.

Is Pennsylvania getting more expensive? ▼

From 2008 to 2024, Pennsylvania's overall cost index changed by -1.6 points (from 99.2 to 97.6). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

What is most expensive in Pennsylvania compared to the U.S. average? ▼

The most expensive category in Pennsylvania is services at 109.3, which is 9.3% above the national average. The most affordable category is rents at 85.1, 14.9% below average.