Pennsylvania
R+2 · Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
3.07%
Income Tax
305
Violent Crime / 100K
77.1
Life Expectancy
$270K
Median Home
$1,350
Childcare / Mo
State Profile
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Taxes
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Income Tax
Property Tax
~$3,861/yr on median home
Sales Tax
Social Security
Pension / IRA
Retirement income broadly exempt including IRA distributions
Estate Tax
Inheritance tax: 4.5% to children, 12% to siblings, 15% to others
Inheritance Tax
⚠ Your heirs pay this tax on what you leave them — even if you have no estate tax. PA charges 4.5% to children from dollar one.
Capital Gains
Housing & Cost of Living
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Cost of Living Index
National avg = 100
Median Home Price
Median Rent (2BR)
Home Insurance
Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)
Flood Insurance
Homestead Exemption
Home equity protected from creditors
Asset Protection
Crime & Safety
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Violent Crime Rate
Near national avg
Property Crime Rate
Below national avg (~2,100)
Traffic Fatality Rate
Healthcare
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State Healthcare Rank
Life Expectancy
Medicaid Expansion
Uninsured Rate
Education
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K-12 Quality Rank
School Choice / Vouchers
Childcare
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Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)
Utilities & Daily Costs
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Avg Monthly Energy Bill
Avg Monthly Groceries
2-person household, moderate spending
Road Quality Rank
Airports & Travel
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Nonstop Destinations
From state's primary airport
Major Hub Airport
Top-25 US airport by passengers
Culture & Lifestyle
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Urban Population
Mix of urban and rural
Restaurant Density
Religious Congregations
Pro Sports Teams
NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS
Major Venues
Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)
Craft Breweries
2.9/100K residents — Solid scene
Craft Distilleries
Strong spirits scene
Live Music
Philadelphia (Live Nation hub, Made in America); Pittsburgh strong venues; Deer Creek; Troegs nationally known
Transportation
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Car Insurance (Avg Annual)
Traffic Fatality Rate
Broadband Access
Social & Legal
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Abortion Access
Legal to 24 weeks; ongoing political battles
LGBTQ+ Protections
Marijuana
Minimum Wage
Right to Work
Sports Betting
Casino Gambling
Online Gambling
State Lottery
Second largest commercial casino market after NV. Online casino gambling legal since 2019. 16 commercial casinos.
Age of Consent
Sex Education
No state sex ed mandate
Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs
White Thorn Lodge · Sunny Rest Resort (Poconos) · Penn Sylvan Health Society
Environment & Climate
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Air Quality (Annual AQI)
Near national avg
Natural Disaster Risk
Primary Hazards
Politics & Gun Laws
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2024 Presidential Vote
Gun Laws
Carry Permit
Purchase Permit Required
Gambling
Jobs & Economy
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Job Market
+0.9% job growth · 3.7% unemployment
Top Industries
Tech Jobs
Healthcare Jobs
Top healthcare job market
Remote Work
Median Household Income
Business Climate
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Corporate Income Tax
High corporate rate — plan entity structure carefully
LLC Formation Fee
LLC Annual Fee
Business Climate Rank
Bottom-10 nationally
Daily Life
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Gas Price (Regular)
Near avg (+0.00 vs national avg)
Consumer Fireworks
Consumer fireworks legal since 2017; 18+ only
Weather & Natural Risks
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Winter Severity
Avg January high: 35°F
Summer Heat
Moderate summers
Annual Rainfall
Tornado Risk
Hurricane Risk
Wildfire Risk
Flood Risk
Natural Hazards
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Venomous Snakes
Spider Hazard
Hurricane Risk
Tornado Risk
Wildfire Risk
Earthquake Risk
Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗
Veteran Benefits
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Veteran-Friendly Score
7.5% of state population are veterans
Property Tax Exemption
Disabled vet property tax exemption
Military Retirement Pay
Active Duty Pay
VA Facilities Access
Notable Benefits
Explore Pennsylvania counties
Income, housing, poverty, healthcare — ranked by county
See your full cost of living in Pennsylvania
Housing, taxes, childcare, insurance — all estimated.
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COL 97 vs 97 · 3.07% vs No income tax
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COL 97 vs 96 · 3.07% vs 5.8% income tax
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Trending in Pennsylvania
Governor Shapiro Secures Major New Investment from Urban Outfitters, Inc., Expanding Operations in Pennsylvania and Creating at Least 1,050 New Jobs in Philadelphia and Bucks County - PA Department of Community & Economic Development (.gov)
PA Department of Community & Economic Development (.gov) · Jun 8
Pa. rape crisis centers: We are not a budget line item - Pennsylvania Capital-Star
Pennsylvania Capital-Star · Jun 8
PA Senate Approves Collett’s Legislation to Hold Sex Traffickers Accountable - Pennsylvania Senate Democrats
Pennsylvania Senate Democrats · Jun 8
Setting an agenda - timesobserver.com
timesobserver.com · Jun 9
Will Pennsylvania’s budget pass on time? One leader believes it can - ABC27
ABC27 · Jun 7
What Residents Say
I'm thinking about moving to Pennsylvania, what are the ...
In terms of taxes, PA has a flat state tax (3.07%) which is great ... Plenty of parks, Lehigh River & fairly low cost of living. Living ......
reddit.com ↗
Moving from California to Pennsylvania, wondering about ...
PA is an across the board tax. And even with the 1% employment tax, county tax, and school tax. Still less taxes than California. California ......
reddit.com ↗
Moving to PA: Taxes. How do they work and what can I ...
Hi everyone. My husband and I are debating the move from Florida to PA. So far we’ve settled on the west side of PA but no definitive location ......
reddit.com ↗
It's 110k enough to live comfortably in Pennsylvania?
Don't let anyone feed you BS about state income tax. It's not that bad. Sales taxes are lower in PA. No sales tax on clothing. Registration fees ......
reddit.com ↗
I currently live in Pennsylvania and me and my boyfriend ...
It all depends on where you want to stay. If you stay on the coast or in a place like Ridgeland then expect to pay high prices....
reddit.com ↗
Relocating from NYC to PA... Is the lower cost of living ...
I am seeing that housing costs are definitely lower in these areas on the list, but also nursing pay is lower so I'm beginning to wonder if this ......
reddit.com ↗
Is yearly $22k gross enough to live in Pennsylvania? ...
Doubtful. Half your money will go to rent unless you get roomates. 22k isnt a livable wage in PA(or any parts of the US)....
reddit.com ↗
Thinking to move from FL to PA : r/relocating
Taxes suck of course but the cost of living is better than FL. The city is blue and the suburbs are a mix. For instance most in the north ......
reddit.com ↗
Younger Couple presented with 80k opportunity to move ...
PA state income tax is like flat 3% so not bad. I wouldn't live in Philly with their municipal income tax on top of it, though. Overall PA ......
reddit.com ↗
Harrisburg is no longer a Low Cost of Living Area
Lol, actually looked it up and Mechanicsburg Local resident tax is 1.55%, Harrisburg proper is 2%. So I would actually pay even more in taxes ......
reddit.com ↗
Stay Current
Get notified when Pennsylvania tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.
Pennsylvania Guides
Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.