Housing decision brief
Juniata County, PA Housing Market
Juniata County screens as a higher 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.
41st lowest home value out of 67 Pennsylvania counties with data | 3rd lowest rent out of 67
Median home value
$206,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$730/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$848/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
21.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$118/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$730/mo is 16% below Pennsylvania county median
Rent burden below pressure line
21.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
Lower income base
$63,923 median income is 1% below Pennsylvania county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. 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
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
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 Juniata 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. | $206,300 | $193,100 | $281,900 | 7% pressure7% above Pennsylvania county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $730 | $868 | $1,163 | 16% favorable16% below Pennsylvania county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $848 | $893 | $1,672 | 5% favorable5% below Pennsylvania county median |
Median household income | $63,923 | $64,758 | $74,755 | Near state median1% below Pennsylvania county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.05% | 1.29% | 1.02% | 19% favorable19% below Pennsylvania county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 21.00% | 27.00% | N/A | 22% favorable21.00% 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
+$34,723
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$27,580
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Juniata County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $730/month in gross rent, with 21.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
Renters in Juniata County pay $730/month on average, compared to $848/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 14%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $29,200/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,343/year. With a median household income of $63,923, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 21.0% of renter households in Juniata County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Fulton County where rent averages $781/month, Juniata County is approximately 7% less expensive.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, PA | $206,000 | $781/mo | Same-state comparison near $206,000 home value and $781/mo rent. |
| Sullivan County, PA | $186,400 | $781/mo | Same-state comparison near $186,400 home value and $781/mo rent. |
| Huntingdon County, PA | $180,300 | $795/mo | Same-state comparison near $180,300 home value and $795/mo rent. |
| Lycoming County, PA | $195,600 | $887/mo | Same-state comparison near $195,600 home value and $887/mo rent. |
| Snyder County, PA | $205,500 | $890/mo | Same-state comparison near $205,500 home value and $890/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Juniata County
Is Juniata County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Juniata County?
How much income do you need for housing in Juniata County?
What should I double-check before moving to Juniata County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.