Johnstown cost of living
Prices in the Johnstown, PA metro area run at 85.9 against a national average of 100, ranking it #368 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 42.3.
What drives the number
Johnstown is one of the least expensive places measured, at 85.9 against a national 100, ranking #368 of 387 metro areas. Prices run 14.1 per cent below national. Cheap is not the same as affordable, though, because pay is usually lower too. Against Pennsylvania as a whole it is 11.7 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 42.3 against goods at 100.7 and other services at 108.9, so the overall figure of 85.9 understates how affordable the housing itself is. Services, which are priced by local wages, are what hold the overall number up.
Low prices only help if pay does not fall by more. Dividing the local median wage by 85.9 is how to check, and the wage pages carry that comparison.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Johnstown is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,790 | $28,820 | $33,551 | $34,900 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,350 | $27,680 | $32,224 | $34,580 |
| Cashiers | 1,330 | $26,460 | $30,803 | $31,190 |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,170 | $76,370 | $88,906 | $102,950 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,160 | $81,180 | $94,505 | $93,600 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,160 | $23,740 | $27,637 | $30,480 |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,080 | $37,930 | $44,156 | $43,630 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 870 | $30,970 | $36,054 | $37,090 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 85.9.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 102.6 | 113.1 | #50 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | 100.0 | 105.5 | #90 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | 98.7 | 96.3 | #100 |
| Lancaster | 98.3 | 93.8 | #106 |
| Reading | 97.1 | 85.4 | #127 |
| State College | 96.8 | 85.7 | #134 |
Johnstown: common questions
Is Johnstown expensive?
Prices are 14.1% below the national average, a parity of 85.9 where the country is 100. It ranks #368 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Pennsylvania as a whole it is 11.7 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Johnstown?
The median worker there earns $42,020, which buys what $48,917 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 42.3 against goods at 100.7. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.