State College cost of living
Prices in the State College, PA metro area run at 96.8 against a national average of 100, ranking it #134 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 85.7.
What drives the number
Prices in State College run at 96.8 where the national average is 100, so about 3.2 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #134 of 387 metro areas. Against Pennsylvania as a whole it is 0.8 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 85.7 against goods at 100.7 and other services at 109.5, so the overall figure of 96.8 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 3.2 per cent before anything else is considered.
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 State College 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,780 | $27,540 | $28,450 | $30,480 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,690 | $29,350 | $30,320 | $34,580 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,600 | $42,580 | $43,988 | $46,290 |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,430 | $85,180 | $87,996 | $102,950 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,370 | $30,000 | $30,992 | $34,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,300 | $29,390 | $30,362 | $33,760 |
| Cashiers | 1,280 | $28,510 | $29,452 | $31,190 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,270 | $80,620 | $83,285 | $93,600 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 96.8.
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 |
| York-Hanover | 96.0 | 79.8 | #147 |
State College: common questions
Is State College expensive?
Prices are 3.2% below the national average, a parity of 96.8 where the country is 100. It ranks #134 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Pennsylvania as a whole it is 0.8 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in State College?
The median worker there earns $50,250, which buys what $51,911 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 85.7 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.