When you’re planning on transferring to Pennsylvania, add these cities to your listing.
Pennsylvania is a splendidly numerous state, house to historical past, pure splendor, and thriving business. Often known as the Keystone State, Pennsylvania has lengthy been formed by its central position in U.S. historical past, business, and coverage. The metal and coal industries have been notably vital to the state’s financial system and tradition, and manufacturing stays foundational to its identification.
Pennsylvania has six distinct geographic areas, together with plains, mountains, valleys, and plateaus, every with their very own distinctive cultures and histories. The state is pretty gentle and sees between 34 and 52 inches of precipitation yearly. Snow is frequent each winter, although a majority falls close to Lake Erie and within the Appalachian Mountains. Nor’easters, thunderstorms, and tropical storms could cause flooding close to rivers.
Largely due to their affordability, many main cities in Pennsylvania have seen a current surge in home costs and inhabitants progress, as folks spring to purchase properties they’ll afford. Curiosity has solely grown as nationwide housing prices proceed to rise, resulting in a statewide scarcity of properties. This, together with a concerted effort to modernize the state’s financial system, has turned some former Rust Belt cities, like Pittsburgh, into energetic hubs of neighborhood and innovation. However, which cities are one of the best?
On this Redfin article, we’ve uncovered one of the best locations to reside in Pennsylvania, rating them on qualities corresponding to affordability, navigability, and variety of facilities. You’ll find extra details about our methodology right here or on the backside of the article.
1. Pittsburgh, PA
Inhabitants:
303,255
Median Sale Value:
$245,000
Median Hire Value:
$1,599
Common Commute Time:
24.2 minutes
Unemployment Price:
3.4%
Overlook what you’ve heard: Pittsburgh, the enduring “Steel City,” has fully remodeled over the previous few many years. What was as soon as a metropolis caught in a post-industrial previous has remodeled right into a thriving middle of know-how, medication, and innovation, all whereas holding on to its blue-collar spirit. And it’s not accomplished rising, with a not too long ago accredited $600 million plan to revitalize its downtown underway.
Dwelling in Pittsburgh is a deal with. Historical past, pure splendor, and stylish retailers collide with rusty remnants of town’s previous, making a metropolis that feels alive. Well-known sights just like the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the Strip District’s Markets, and Duquesne Incline (one of many final inclines within the nation) are must-sees. Inexperienced house is plentiful and enjoyable to discover, like at Level State Park or the Three Rivers Heritage Path. You will get round simply by gentle rail.
Pittsburgh’s hilly terrain is outlined by three rivers – the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio – creating dramatic views and distinctive neighborhoods related by a whopping 446 bridges. The Three Sisters Bridges are in all probability essentially the most well-known, all named after native legends. One of many three, the Roberto Clemente Bridge, turns into a pedestrian-only walkway on Pirates (MLB) sport days. Unsurprisingly, sports activities are integral to locals. Together with the Pirates, The Steelers (NFL), Penguins (NHL), and Pitt Panthers draw tens of 1000’s to each sport.
A small, reasonably priced, walkable metropolis with the facilities of a significant metropolis, plus loads of character, make Pittsburgh one of the best place to reside in Pennsylvania.
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2. Philadelphia, PA
Inhabitants:
1.55 million
Median Sale Value:
$250,000
Median Hire Value:
$1,901
Common Commute Time:
33.4 minutes
Unemployment Price:
5.4%
As Pennsylvania’s largest metropolis and one of many nation’s most historic, Philadelphia combines East Coast vitality with a down-to-earth vibe. Based in 1682, town is very well-known for its many firsts: the primary library, hospital, college, artwork museum, zoo, and extra. Different landmarks embody Independence Corridor, the Liberty Bell, and Philadelphia Museum of Artwork. Whereas it’s outdated, it’s at all times evolving and stays one of many nation’s premier cities.
You’ll by no means tire of exploring Philly. You possibly can simply see the outdated and densely packed buildings of Rittenhouse Sq. and peruse hip retailers in Fishtown in an hour. In case you have extra time, watch town’s streets and row homes give strategy to trendy skyscrapers in Middle Metropolis and Fairmount, the place you’ll discover museums, parks, and the expansive Schuylkill River Path – good for biking and working. Philadelphia is definitely fairly compact, with dozens of neighborhoods that every have a singular vibe. Getting round is made straightforward by way of sturdy subway and bus techniques (SEPTA).
Philadelphia’s tradition units it aside from most different cities. The humanities are in style, headlined by the traditional Walnut Avenue Theatre and loads of arts colleges, and music is woven into town’s bones. Immigrants have performed a vital position within the arts for the reason that metropolis’s founding.
In fact, you’ll be able to’t miss the meals. Cheesesteaks reign supreme – strive Pat’s, Geno’s, or one of many numerous neighborhood spots – however they’re solely the start. Choices additionally embody roast pork sandwiches, mushy pretzels, water ice, and a rising roster of worldwide eateries, craft breweries, and famend BYOB eating places.
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3. Erie, PA
Inhabitants:
92,957
Median Sale Value:
$127,500
Median Hire Value:
$1,100
Common Commute Time:
18 minutes
Unemployment Price:
4.8%
One of many snowiest cities within the nation, Erie is Pennsylvania’s lakeside hub. It was nicknamed “Gem City” for its pristine pure harbor, which nonetheless boasts a thriving maritime business. Residents love Erie’s mid-sized really feel; not too massive to create site visitors or really feel claustrophobic, however with loads of facilities all through its historic streets.
Pesque Isle State Park is a must-see, whereas the Erie Maritime Museum particulars the area’s intertwined historical past with the lake. Lake transport, metalworking, and manufacturing had been important industries that helped develop Erie into town it’s at the moment. Its skyline nonetheless displays its industrial previous but additionally appears ahead, just like the 120-year outdated Mercantile Constructing turning right into a slick workplace house.
There are a couple of downsides, although. Winters may be lengthy and snowy, with particularly heavy snow throughout lake-effect storms. Homes additionally run on the older facet, and nightlife is restricted and would require a automobile to get to. On the brilliant facet, commerce jobs are plentiful, there are many reasonably priced sporting occasions, and town continues to develop. Catch the Erie Otters play Minor League Hockey on the Erie Insurance coverage Enviornment, or watch the Erie Seawolves play Minor League ball.
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4. Scranton, PA
Inhabitants:
75,805
Median Sale Value:
$195,000
Median Hire Value:
$1,480
Common Commute Time:
20 minutes
Unemployment Price:
2.9%
A Nineteenth-century industrial mecca, Scranton at the moment is healthier recognized for its close-knit neighborhood, affordability, and old-town really feel. The promise of jobs drew 1000’s of immigrants to the world to mine anthracite coal and iron and work on railroads and in textile mills – a hard-working perspective that’s celebrated at the moment. You possibly can be taught extra in regards to the area’s mining historical past on the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum or the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour.
Scranton is a small metropolis that punches above its weight. Boutiques, galleries, eating places, and retailers fill the compact downtown core, normally in brick or stone buildings. Cracked roads and run-down buildings are a reasonably frequent sight, however the metropolis is at all times below enchancment.
Nature-wise, Scranton is top-notch. Nay Aug Park options waterfalls, mountaineering trails, and a treehouse, whereas McDade Park has trails, an arboretum, and a pool. You’re additionally nestled between mountains on both facet, offering nice views and mountaineering spots year-round. Montage Mountain Resorts even has snowboarding within the winter.
If you must select one factor to do, although, it must be to take the Pizza Path. Scranton has distinctive pizza of all kinds, highlighted by the well-known “Old Forge Pizza” type, which is served in cuts fairly than slices. Alfredo’s, Mama Mia’s, and Sabellini’s are high locations to expertise one of the best pizza on the town, however locals can have a favourite spot.
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5. Allentown, PA
Inhabitants:
124,880
Median Sale Value:
$230,000
Median Hire Value:
$1,484
Common Commute Time:
23.2 minutes
Unemployment Price:
6.4%
Allentown was based in 1762 and hasn’t skipped a beat since. It’s particularly well-known for its position in early American historical past, which you’ll study on the Liberty Bell Museum, however has loads extra to brag about, too. The outside are at all times shut by within the Blue Mountains, which gives ski resorts and loads of trails. You can too cheer on the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park, or take a fast jaunt to Philadelphia and NYC for big-city enjoyable. Museums and historic landmarks are different professionals, just like the well-known Zion’s United Church of Christ.
All through city, you’ll discover all the pieces from century-old industrial buildings and historic homes, to trendy bars and eating places. Allentown exhibits its age in some deserted warehouses and outdated buildings, however a couple of have become artists’ lofts and stylish retailers. The truth is, town has undergone a significant revamp over the previous decade, and its downtown continues to develop. But when chains and mall buying are extra your type, head north on MacArthur Street for all the pieces you would need.
Allentown is the third-biggest metropolis in Pennsylvania and the most important of three interconnected cities within the Lehigh Valley, the opposite two being Bethlehem and Easton. The area is stuffed with pure magnificence and was pivotal in creating America’s early business, particularly as soon as the Lehigh Canal was inbuilt 1829, which you’ll tour at the moment. The area sees chilly winters and heat, humid summers.
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6. Harrisburg, PA
Inhabitants:
50,012
Median Sale Value:
$190,000
Median Hire Value:
$1,207
Common Commute Time:
19.2 minutes
Unemployment Price:
5.7%
The state capital, Harrisburg is a quaint and historic metropolis within the coronary heart of Pennsylvania. It has an interesting mixture of small-town allure and trendy facilities, all at an reasonably priced worth. Faculties, historic theaters, trendy skyscrapers, and the dazzling Capitol Constructing line the historic downtown’s slim streets, earlier than opening as much as tree-lined boulevards with colonial-style homes. It’s not laborious to imagine that it’s among the finest locations to reside in Pennsylvania.
The outside are straightforward to achieve by foot and satisfying to discover. Working and biking alongside Riverfront Park and the traditional Susquehanna River is a deal with. You possibly can even circle the complete metropolis (almost 21 miles) by way of the Capital Space Greenbelt. Whilst you’re out, you’ll probably bump into a competition or occasion or see one occurring at close by Metropolis Island – a well-liked 63 acre park. The Kipona Competition, celebrating Native peoples, is a must-see that occurs round Labor Day.
Getting round is simple. Amusement-filled Hershey is 20 minutes away, and it’s simply a few hours alongside the PA Turnpike to achieve Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Trains run all the way in which to New York, too, and buses take you to vital stops within the metropolis and neighborhood.
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7. Studying, PA
Inhabitants:
94,903
Median Sale Value:
$205,000
Median Hire Value:
$1,038
Common Commute Time:
24.3 minutes
Unemployment Price:
6.9%
Studying (pronounced “Redding”) is an icon of American business within the Pennsylvania heartland. Downtown, rows of outdated brick buildings home trendy conveniences, and commemorative plaques have a good time centuries of commercial historical past. A really low price of residing, straightforward tempo of life, and beautiful surroundings are high attracts.
As a quintessential Rust Belt metropolis, Studying’s financial system has normally been in a continuing state of transition. It was lengthy on the epicenter of main improvement, just like the Schuylkill and Union Canals within the 1800s, and even housed important iron manufacturing in the course of the Revolutionary Battle. However financial decline sometimes adopted as society advanced and desires shifted. Manufacturing is alive and nicely at the moment, however there’s proof of disrepair all through the area.
Nonetheless, town homes an enormous variety of industrial-era landmarks. You possibly can go to the real-life Studying Railroad from Monopoly, the Nineteenth-century Allegheny Aqueduct, and dozens of outdated hosiery vegetation, of which there have been as soon as 77.
Folks from everywhere in the world have been drawn to Studying’s promise of labor over the centuries, with a big Pennsylvania Dutch inhabitants nonetheless outstanding. As such, a wide range of eating places and retailers dot town’s grid, which bleeds into neighboring suburbs Wyomissing, Laureldale, and Mt. Penn.
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8. Lancaster, PA
Inhabitants:
57,153
Median Sale Value:
$242,500
Median Hire Value:
$1,258
Common Commute Time:
22.8 minutes
Unemployment Price:
4.3%
Lancaster, is the eight-best place to reside in Pennsylvania. Providing an ideal steadiness of pure magnificence and a bustling downtown, Lancaster has a singular historical past. The town has performed host to societal modifications for hundreds of years, notably in the course of the Industrial Revolution, when it gained a significant railroad and constructed the Conestoga Steam Mills. Farming and business grew ever in style and stay cornerstones of Lancaster at the moment, celebrated at occasions year-round.
Inside only a few miles, you’ll be able to go to picturesque farms, manicured suburbs, and stylish eateries, lots of that are walkable. Native farmers and crafters promote their bounties three days per week on the 18th-century Lancaster Central Market, housed in an iconic brick constructing downtown. Massive parks, Victorian-era buildings, and an old-world really feel add allure and livability.
Farmland and tree groves outline the panorama virtually instantly after leaving town. East of Lancaster are main Amish and Mennonite communities, with some providing excursions of their farms. Journey two hours additional east or south and also you’ll find yourself in Philadelphia and Baltimore – good for a day journey.
Vital to notice: the miles of farmland close by produce a wide range of disagreeable smells, which regularly waft into town. Kellogg’s and Mars Chocolate have factories to the north that may add a candy twist into the aroma, too. You’ll get used to the smells after some time, however it could take time to regulate. Air high quality can be a problem round processing vegetation outdoors town.
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9. Bethlehem, PA
Inhabitants:
78,300
Median Sale Value:
$274,900
Median Hire Value:
$1,775
Common Commute Time:
23.3 minutes
Unemployment Price:
3.3%
Simply east of Allentown within the stunning Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem packs so much into its centuries-old bones. The town was based in 1741 by Moravian settlers, was a steel-production powerhouse, and at the moment is a quaint metropolis with a youthful vitality. It’s each cosmopolitan and intimate, offering quiet respites and a downtown with all of the digs. An reasonably priced price of residing doesn’t harm, both.
The area’s Moravian historical past makes Bethlehem a reasonably in style vacationer vacation spot. Certainly one of 4 Moravian Church Settlements, all UNESCO World Heritage Websites, is positioned on the town, as is the Historic Moravian Bethlehem Nationwide Historic Landmark District, which features a museum. Faith performed a significant position in Moravian life, and you’ll nonetheless discover locations of worship all through town. German festivals like Oktoberfest, Musikfest, and the comfy Christkindlmarkt are in style annual traditions.
Maybe Bethlehem’s very best quality is its small however energetic downtown; it has all the pieces you want in a walkable structure. The historic Lodge Bethlehem, on the positioning of town’s first home, is a must-see and best choice amongst guests. Comfortable hour hotspots, stylish retailers, and Victorian townhomes line the historic streets, and there are even rooftop bars and a speakeasy. Plus, you’re minutes from Sand Island Park and the 140-mile lengthy D&L Path. Nightlife is a bit missing in comparison with bigger cities, although.
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10. Levittown, PA
Inhabitants:
50,804
Median Sale Value:
$400,000
Median Hire Value:
$2,100
Common Commute Time:
28.3 minutes
Unemployment Price:
3.2%
Sitting between Trenton and Philadelphia, Levittown rounds out our listing of one of the best locations to reside in Pennsylvania. Levittown boasts a low price of residing, loads of facilities, and pockets of inexperienced house unfold all through. The town is cut up between three townships: Bristol, Falls, and Middletown. Importantly, every have their very own tax codes to concentrate on, with Middletown having an Earned Revenue Tax.
Levittown, PA is the second of many deliberate communities constructed by Levitt & Sons within the years following World Battle II. They rapidly grew to become the typified American suburb, with a garden and white picket fence. And notably, they had been deliberately exclusionary to non-white folks.
Properties in these communities had been inbuilt a method akin to an meeting line, manufactured in 26 steps over a day or two. Levittown, PA was constructed over the course of six years and comprises barely greater than 17,300 properties, cut up between six completely different fashions. The homes had been pretty naked bones by at the moment’s requirements, missing central air and basements. Some have been reworked since, however most are unique.
Levittown borders the Delaware River to the south and isn‘t removed from the Atlantic Coast, which means out of doors recreation is plentiful. A few of the hottest issues to do close by embody visiting the Bristol Wharf, exploring the Silver Lake Nature Middle, or studying about farming at Snipes Farm & Schooling Middle.
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Methodology
Redfin’s Greatest Locations to Reside rankings are supposed to assist house searchers make an knowledgeable resolution when selecting the place to reside. To aim to measure the general high quality of a metro space, every rating takes into consideration a number of key elements, together with entry to healthcare, open out of doors house, navigability, housing traits, employment statistics, earnings, and journey time to work. Solely metros with a inhabitants of fifty,000 or larger had been thought of for our Pennsylvania listing. Extra details about our methodology may be discovered right here.
Knowledge legitimate January 2025. This text is for informational and academic functions solely.
