Your motto will soon be ‘goodbye tension, hello pension’ if you decide to call Pennsylvania home for your retirement years.
Pennsylvania is one of 37 states that does not tax Social Security and one of nine states that does not have an income tax. It is considered one of the most “tax-friendly” states in America, and this is why it is one of the best states to retire in the country.
There are some places, however, in the Keystone State that are better than others for retirees, and we’re here to tell you where the best places to retire in Pennsylvania for 2024
How’d we determine the best places to retire in Pennsylvania? To identify Pennsylvania’s top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 27 cities. We looked at important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent, and distance to the closest airport for every place with over 10,000 residents.
You’ll find the majority of Pennsylvania’s best places to retire located close to the state’s biggest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Additionally, many of Pennsylvania’s best places to retire are also some of the state’s safest.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania For 2024
What’s the best place to retire in Pennsylvania? According to the latest data, the best place to retire in Pennsylvania is West Mifflin.
To learn more about the best places to retire in the Quaker State, look at the list below.
Why did West Mifflin take the top spot? And where are Philadelphia and Allentown?
For more Pennsylvania state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania For 2024
/10
Population: 19,506
Median Income: $64,314
Median Home Price: $148,759
Median Rent: $681
Distance to Closest Airport: 19 miles
More on West Mifflin: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,318
Median Income: $46,505
Median Home Price: $179,801
Median Rent: $733
Distance to Closest Airport: 33 miles
More on Berwick: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 12,163
Median Income: $47,015
Median Home Price: $157,212
Median Rent: $693
Distance to Closest Airport: 25 miles
More on New Kensington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 76,119
Median Income: $48,776
Median Home Price: $158,353
Median Rent: $933
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Scranton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 11,701
Median Income: $78,639
Median Home Price: $189,351
Median Rent: $790
Distance to Closest Airport: 27 miles
More on Lower Burrell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,387
Median Income: $39,546
Median Home Price: $229,441
Median Rent: $771
Distance to Closest Airport: 31 miles
More on Butler: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,317
Median Income: $52,253
Median Home Price: $190,124
Median Rent: $927
Distance to Closest Airport: 9 miles
More on Kingston: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 94,826
Median Income: $43,135
Median Home Price: $168,333
Median Rent: $809
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Erie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 11,051
Median Income: $70,283
Median Home Price: $252,844
Median Rent: $1,178
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Lansdowne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 50,055
Median Income: $46,654
Median Home Price: $230,686
Median Rent: $944
Distance to Closest Airport: 8 miles
More on Harrisburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Keystone State for 2024
To create our ranking of the best places in Pennsylvania to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Keystone State — 1752 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 27 places from across the state.
For these 27, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 27, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case West Mifflin, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Pennsylvania.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Pennsylvania Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Pennsylvania goes to West Mifflin.
The best places to retire in Pennsylvania are West Mifflin, Berwick, New Kensington, Scranton, Lower Burrell, Butler, Kingston, Erie, Lansdowne, and Harrisburg.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Allentown
- State College
- Philadelphia
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Mifflin | 19,506 | $64,314 | $148,759 | $681 |
| 2 | Berwick | 10,318 | $46,505 | $179,801 | $733 |
| 3 | New Kensington | 12,163 | $47,015 | $157,212 | $693 |
| 4 | Scranton | 76,119 | $48,776 | $158,353 | $933 |
| 5 | Lower Burrell | 11,701 | $78,639 | $189,351 | $790 |
| 6 | Butler | 13,387 | $39,546 | $229,441 | $771 |
| 7 | Kingston | 13,317 | $52,253 | $190,124 | $927 |
| 8 | Erie | 94,826 | $43,135 | $168,333 | $809 |
| 9 | Lansdowne | 11,051 | $70,283 | $252,844 | $1,178 |
| 10 | Harrisburg | 50,055 | $46,654 | $230,686 | $944 |