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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
No second income to fall back on. Our model scored 3 cities in Pennsylvania on solo-living metrics. Philadelphia leads at index 98 with rent of $1,734/mo.
#1 Ranked: Philadelphia — cost index 98, rent $1,734/mo, income $60,698
Singles scoring: rent $1,734/mo (solo housing), cost index 98, population 1,550,542 — livability on one income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 98 | $1,734 | Details |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 95 | $1,516 | Details |
| 3 | Allentown | 101 | $1,699 | Details |
No second income to fall back on. Our model scored 3 cities in Pennsylvania on solo-living metrics. Philadelphia leads at index 98 with rent of $1,734/mo.
Single-income living means absorbing 100% of housing costs. Our model weights rent under $1,300 (20pts), cost of living (15pts), and city population (10pts) — because a social scene matters when you're on your own. Philadelphia at $1,734/mo in a city of 1,550,542 hits the right balance. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. Pittsburgh offers cheaper rent as a runner-up.
Philadelphia comes in at #1. Rent is $1,734 a month. Household income is $60,698. The cost of living index is 98. It lines up with what you'd expect.
Bottom line: Philadelphia leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
1,550,542 residents · Pennsylvania
Philadelphia comes in at #1. Rent is $1,734 — we had to double-check this one — a month. Household income is $60,698. The cost of living index is 98. No major red flags in that number.
303,255 residents · Pennsylvania
What does daily life actually cost in Pittsburgh? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Utilities (index 87) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $64,137 and homes at $230,723 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
124,880 residents · Pennsylvania
Here's Allentown by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 101. Rent: $1,699/month. Income: $53,403/year. Home price: $304,235. Population: 124,880. The strongest category is Utilities at 93; the most expensive is Healthcare at 104. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,352 per year vs. the national median. That adds up much faster than people realize.
Our persona scoring model weights cost of living, income, rent, healthcare costs, tax burden, and population size differently based on what matters most to singles. Each factor contributes 10-25 points to a 0-100 composite score. Cities with the highest composite rank first. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Philadelphia ranks #1 in Pennsylvania for this analysis with a cost index of 98 and median income of $60,698.
Philadelphia scores highest for singles due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,734/mo, and competitive median income of $60,698.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Philadelphia (ranked #1) has a cost index of 98 and rent of $1,734/mo, while Allentown (ranked #3) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,699/mo — a 3-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Philadelphia is $1,734/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $161 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Philadelphia is $229,411, which is 3.8× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Pennsylvania has a 3.07% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.34%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.36%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.