Housing decision brief
Blair County, PA Housing Market
Blair County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
23rd lowest home value out of 67 Pennsylvania counties with data | 32nd lowest rent out of 67
Median home value
$156,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$854/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$851/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
29.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$3/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$156,700 median home value is 19% below Pennsylvania county median
Lower rent
$854/mo is 2% below Pennsylvania county median
Rent burden below pressure line
29.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $3/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$60,594 median income is 6% below Pennsylvania county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is D. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Blair County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $156,700 | $193,100 | $281,900 | 19% favorable19% below Pennsylvania county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $854 | $868 | $1,163 | Near state median2% below Pennsylvania county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $851 | $893 | $1,672 | 5% favorable5% below Pennsylvania county median |
Median household income | $60,594 | $64,758 | $74,755 | 6% pressure6% below Pennsylvania county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.09% | 1.29% | 1.02% | 16% favorable16% below Pennsylvania county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 29.00% | 27.00% | N/A | 7% pressure29.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$26,434
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$24,123
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Blair County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $854/month representing approximately 16.9% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 29.0%.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Blair County is $854/month, while owner costs run $851/month. Owning saves approximately $3/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $34,160/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,471/year. With a median household income of $60,594, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Blair County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Blair County sits 6% more expensive than Armstrong County ($802/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, PA | $153,600 | $808/mo | Same-state comparison near $153,600 home value and $808/mo rent. |
| Clarion County, PA | $152,100 | $785/mo | Same-state comparison near $152,100 home value and $785/mo rent. |
| Erie County, PA | $169,500 | $876/mo | Same-state comparison near $169,500 home value and $876/mo rent. |
| Tioga County, PA | $176,000 | $850/mo | Same-state comparison near $176,000 home value and $850/mo rent. |
| Crawford County, PA | $143,400 | $800/mo | Same-state comparison near $143,400 home value and $800/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Blair County
Is Blair County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Blair County?
How much income do you need for housing in Blair County?
What should I double-check before moving to Blair County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.