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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Pennsylvania's value. And from what we can tell, 3 out of 3 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Pittsburgh at index 88, where median rent of $1,516/month saves renters $4,548/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Pennsylvania's value. And from what we can tell, 3 out of 3 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Pittsburgh at index 88, where median rent of $1,516/month saves renters $4,548/year versus the national median.
So, Pittsburgh. Cost index of 88 — for better or worse — , rent at $1,516/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $64,137, which is below the national median. Fairly typical for a city this size.
Here's the thing: the housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 96 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 4% below the national median. Pittsburgh leads at 88, followed by Allentown (99) and Philadelphia (101). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below. Hard to argue with that.
Pittsburgh rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Pittsburgh has increased from $1,467 to $1,516/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
The same data, viewed through a different lens: The 3 cities we track in Pennsylvania paint a clearly affordable picture. And for the typical household, average cost index: 96. Median rent: $1,650/month. Household income: $59,413. Pennsylvania is known for Philadelphia's corridor versus Appalachian values — and the data backs that reputation convincingly (that's pre-tax, of course).
Bottom line: Pittsburgh 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 Ranked: Pittsburgh — cost index 88, rent $1,516/mo, income $64,137
Pittsburgh rent up 3% over the past year
3 of 3 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | 88 | 88 | $1,516 | Details |
| 2 | Allentown | 99 | 99 | $1,699 | Details |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 101 | 101 | $1,734 | Details |
303,255 residents · Pennsylvania
A closer look at Pittsburgh: the cost index of 88 breaks down to a Housing index of 88 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 98 (weakest). And in most cases, median rent is $1,516/month — 20% below the national median — while household income sits at $64,137, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
124,880 residents · Pennsylvania
The #2 spot goes to Allentown, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,699/month — though some people might weigh that differently — — saving renters $2,352 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 99, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. The 38% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
1,550,542 residents · Pennsylvania
A closer look at Philadelphia: the cost index of 101 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 100 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 101 (weakest). Median rent is $1,734/month — 8% below the national median — while household income sits at $60,698, meaning locals spend about 34% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
Cities are ranked by their housing cost sub-index within Pennsylvania. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Pittsburgh ranks #1 in Pennsylvania for this analysis with a cost index of 88 and median income of $64,137.
Pittsburgh, PA has the lowest housing index at 88, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
Pittsburgh (ranked #1) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,516/mo, while Philadelphia (ranked #3) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,734/mo — a 13-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 Pittsburgh is $1,516/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $379 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Pittsburgh is $230,723, which is 3.6× 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.