Cost of living in Harrisburg research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Harrisburg is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Pennsylvania, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Harrisburg is 91, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Harrisburg is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Harrisburg ranks as the #60 cheapest in Pennsylvania out of 247.
Harrisburg ranks as the #1,804 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Harrisburg is $95,300.
The median income in Harrisburg is $44,444.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Harrisburg has an overall cost of living index of 91, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Pennsylvania, Harrisburg has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Pennsylvania's index of 97.
The standard of living in Harrisburg ranks as #60 most affordable out of the 247 places we measured in Pennsylvania. By definition, that implies Harrisburg ranks as the #187 most expensive place in the Keystone State.
For more reading on life in Harrisburg, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Harrisburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Harrisburg is 100.
The Groceries index in Harrisburg is 100.
The Health index in Harrisburg is 92.
The Housing index in Harrisburg is 55.
The Transportation index in Harrisburg is 110.
The Utilities index in Harrisburg is 108.
Living Expense | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 91 | 97 | 100 | |
Services | 100 | 99 | 100 | |
Groceries | 100 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 92 | 97 | 100 | |
Housing | 55 | 85 | 100 | |
Transportation | 110 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 108 | 106 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Pennsylvania, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Harrisburg is $95,300.
The Median Rent in Harrisburg is $867.
The Median Income in Harrisburg is $44,444.
The Home Value To Income in Harrisburg is 2.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Harrisburg is 0.23x.
Statistic | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $95,300 | $197,300 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $867 | $1,013 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $44,444 | $67,587 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.1x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.18 | $1.06 |
Movie | $13.11 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $13.65 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $18.18 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $33.13 | $39.05 |
Item | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.21 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.34 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.44 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.49 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.69 | $10.62 |
Beer | $11.96 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.84 | $2.34 |
Item | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $86.81 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $103.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $93.74 | $99.13 |
Item | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.54 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $48.77 | $50.07 |
Item | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $191.01 | $167.67 |
Phone | $189.01 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Harrisburg. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Progress, PA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.1x Harrisburg.
Camp Hill, PA has a cost of living index of 106, 1.2x Harrisburg.
Palmyra, PA has a cost of living index of 95, 1.0x Harrisburg.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Harrisburg |
---|---|---|---|
Progress, PA | 11,286 | 99 | 1.1x |
Camp Hill, PA | 8,115 | 106 | 1.2x |
Palmyra, PA | 7,750 | 95 | 1.0x |
Middletown, PA | 7,495 | 93 | 1.0x |
New Cumberland, PA | 7,481 | 98 | 1.1x |
Lower Allen, PA | 7,019 | 102 | 1.1x |
Linglestown, PA | 6,380 | 102 | 1.1x |
Enola, PA | 6,030 | 94 | 1.0x |
Schlusser, PA | 5,772 | 101 | 1.1x |