County housing intelligence
Pennsylvania Housing Market by County
Pennsylvania is not one housing market. Across 67 counties, the median county home value is $202,200 and the median county rent is $901/mo. The useful question is not whether Pennsylvania is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$202,200
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$901/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
67
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Pennsylvania Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Chester County, Bucks County, Montgomery County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Cameron County, McKean County, Forest County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Chester County, Montgomery County, Bucks County lead on rent, while Cameron County, Elk County, Cambria County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
McKean County, Cameron County, Venango County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Cameron County
$88,900
- 2. McKean County
$104,500
- 3. Forest County
$115,300
- 4. Venango County
$119,800
- 5. Cambria County
$121,000
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. McKean County
1.7x home-value-to-income
- 2. Cameron County
1.8x home-value-to-income
- 3. Venango County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 4. Elk County
2.0x home-value-to-income
- 5. Cambria County
2.1x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Cameron County
$689/mo
- 2. Elk County
$719/mo
- 3. Cambria County
$739/mo
- 4. Jefferson County
$750/mo
- 5. Somerset County
$753/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Fulton County
20.7% rent burden
- 2. Juniata County
21.0% rent burden
- 3. Sullivan County
22.7% rent burden
- 4. Warren County
23.8% rent burden
- 5. Wyoming County
24.1% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Bedford County
0.81% effective tax rate
- 2. Philadelphia County
0.82% effective tax rate
- 3. Huntingdon County
0.94% effective tax rate
- 4. Clarion County
0.97% effective tax rate
- 5. Somerset County
0.98% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Forest County
$305/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Philadelphia County
$279/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Montour County
$127/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Venango County
$116/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Susquehanna County
$107/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. McKean County
$62,905 income, 1.7x value-to-income
- 2. Chester County
$127,208 income, 3.8x value-to-income
- 3. Elk County
$66,380 income, 2.0x value-to-income
- 4. Venango County
$61,522 income, 1.9x value-to-income
- 5. Schuylkill County
$68,313 income, 2.2x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Cameron County $88,900 home value, $50,573 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Cameron County $88,900 home value, 1.59% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Centre County $1,207/mo rent, 34.40% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Chester County $485,600 home value, $127,208 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Pennsylvania County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKean County | $104,500 | $809/mo | $62,905 | 1.7x | 1.59% |
| Cameron County | $88,900 | $689/mo | $50,573 | 1.8x | 1.59% |
| Venango County | $119,800 | $795/mo | $61,522 | 1.9x | 1.27% |
| Elk County | $133,600 | $719/mo | $66,380 | 2.0x | 1.27% |
| Cambria County | $121,000 | $739/mo | $58,418 | 2.1x | 1.23% |
| Warren County | $127,500 | $755/mo | $60,480 | 2.1x | 1.32% |
| Clearfield County | $137,000 | $791/mo | $62,152 | 2.2x | 1.09% |
| Forest County | $115,300 | $817/mo | $52,191 | 2.2x | 0.99% |
| Schuylkill County | $153,000 | $876/mo | $68,313 | 2.2x | 1.40% |
| Greene County | $153,900 | $789/mo | $68,041 | 2.3x | 1.27% |
| Armstrong County | $157,300 | $785/mo | $65,008 | 2.4x | 1.37% |
| Jefferson County | $139,700 | $750/mo | $58,686 | 2.4x | 1.00% |
| Lawrence County | $147,200 | $831/mo | $61,931 | 2.4x | 1.34% |
| Clarion County | $155,700 | $798/mo | $62,649 | 2.5x | 0.97% |
| Crawford County | $153,200 | $802/mo | $60,476 | 2.5x | 1.35% |
| Fayette County | $143,200 | $793/mo | $58,236 | 2.5x | 1.12% |
| Indiana County | $152,800 | $800/mo | $60,208 | 2.5x | 1.50% |
| Mifflin County | $156,700 | $822/mo | $63,953 | 2.5x | 1.45% |
| Somerset County | $150,600 | $753/mo | $61,446 | 2.5x | 0.98% |
| Blair County | $161,100 | $885/mo | $62,382 | 2.6x | 1.07% |
| Potter County | $153,100 | $809/mo | $59,020 | 2.6x | 1.21% |
| Beaver County | $190,900 | $890/mo | $71,089 | 2.7x | 1.42% |
| Luzerne County | $174,100 | $1,004/mo | $63,691 | 2.7x | 1.45% |
| Mercer County | $164,000 | $843/mo | $59,976 | 2.7x | 1.18% |
| Northumberland County | $162,400 | $806/mo | $60,583 | 2.7x | 1.10% |
| Westmoreland County | $203,500 | $879/mo | $74,109 | 2.7x | 1.23% |
| Erie County | $177,000 | $904/mo | $63,354 | 2.8x | 1.60% |
| Huntingdon County | $183,200 | $810/mo | $65,557 | 2.8x | 0.94% |
| Sullivan County | $197,100 | $775/mo | $69,764 | 2.8x | 1.02% |
| Tioga County | $181,100 | $863/mo | $64,899 | 2.8x | 1.15% |
| Allegheny County | $227,600 | $1,153/mo | $78,548 | 2.9x | 1.52% |
| Bradford County | $187,500 | $901/mo | $63,675 | 2.9x | 1.09% |
| Clinton County | $175,900 | $820/mo | $60,816 | 2.9x | 1.16% |
| Washington County | $228,500 | $949/mo | $78,958 | 2.9x | 1.09% |
| York County | $248,600 | $1,193/mo | $84,829 | 2.9x | 1.61% |
| Bedford County | $179,000 | $784/mo | $59,992 | 3.0x | 0.81% |
| Lackawanna County | $201,800 | $1,007/mo | $66,223 | 3.0x | 1.49% |
| Perry County | $236,400 | $874/mo | $79,444 | 3.0x | 1.21% |
| Wyoming County | $215,400 | $943/mo | $72,460 | 3.0x | 1.31% |
| Carbon County | $211,400 | $994/mo | $67,554 | 3.1x | 1.46% |
| Dauphin County | $236,400 | $1,217/mo | $76,242 | 3.1x | 1.35% |
| Lebanon County | $242,000 | $1,110/mo | $78,425 | 3.1x | 1.37% |
| Union County | $240,100 | $974/mo | $76,404 | 3.1x | 1.14% |
| Adams County | $268,500 | $1,115/mo | $84,092 | 3.2x | 1.33% |
| Berks County | $257,300 | $1,181/mo | $79,777 | 3.2x | 1.65% |
| Columbia County | $206,200 | $943/mo | $64,644 | 3.2x | 1.11% |
| Cumberland County | $277,600 | $1,249/mo | $87,494 | 3.2x | 1.17% |
| Franklin County | $249,800 | $1,093/mo | $77,003 | 3.2x | 1.10% |
| Fulton County | $208,500 | $809/mo | $65,836 | 3.2x | 1.02% |
| Lycoming County | $202,200 | $913/mo | $63,917 | 3.2x | 1.31% |
| Monroe County | $267,600 | $1,393/mo | $83,565 | 3.2x | 1.66% |
| Montour County | $248,100 | $1,142/mo | $76,976 | 3.2x | 1.01% |
| Snyder County | $215,300 | $929/mo | $66,876 | 3.2x | 1.11% |
| Susquehanna County | $216,400 | $933/mo | $68,487 | 3.2x | 1.09% |
| Butler County | $294,200 | $1,041/mo | $89,843 | 3.3x | 1.01% |
| Juniata County | $217,000 | $756/mo | $66,318 | 3.3x | 0.99% |
| Pike County | $272,600 | $1,378/mo | $81,323 | 3.4x | 1.30% |
| Lancaster County | $301,100 | $1,357/mo | $86,959 | 3.5x | 1.32% |
| Northampton County | $308,600 | $1,395/mo | $89,184 | 3.5x | 1.52% |
| Delaware County | $332,200 | $1,372/mo | $89,546 | 3.7x | 1.84% |
| Chester County | $485,600 | $1,763/mo | $127,208 | 3.8x | 1.30% |
| Lehigh County | $300,400 | $1,383/mo | $80,079 | 3.8x | 1.55% |
| Montgomery County | $436,700 | $1,683/mo | $113,915 | 3.8x | 1.35% |
| Bucks County | $445,700 | $1,605/mo | $114,764 | 3.9x | 1.31% |
| Philadelphia County | $243,100 | $1,397/mo | $61,953 | 3.9x | 0.82% |
| Wayne County | $242,100 | $1,038/mo | $62,381 | 3.9x | 1.26% |
| Centre County | $323,500 | $1,207/mo | $74,291 | 4.4x | 1.05% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Pennsylvania by county?
What is the typical rent in Pennsylvania by county?
Which Pennsylvania counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.