It Costs This Much To Live In Pennsylvania, New Report Says

PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvanians earn less money than the national average, and they pay more money to live there, data shows.

The cost of living in Pennsylvania is high in many cities and towns. For example, it costs 14.4 percent more to live in Philadelphia and 17.9 percent more to live in Doylestown than what is average for the United States, and numbers are only increasing.

Here's the paradox: Pennsylvania's median household income was $71,798 in 2022 — lower than the 2022 national average of $74,580, according to census data. Meanwhile, the living wage in Pennsylvania is $70,008, while the national living wage is around $68,500 after taxes, MIT’s Living Wage data shows.

"A living wage is what one full-time worker must earn on an hourly basis to help cover the cost of their family's minimum basic needs where they live while still being self-sufficient," the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said.

This can vary from city to city and state to state based on that locale's specific costs for food, childcare, health care, housing, transportation, clothing, personal care items, and broadband — and tax rates.

Curious as to which counties in Pennsylvania are the richest, and which are rapidly increasing in wealth? See our roundup of the 10 Keystone State counties that have seen the biggest increase in median household income in recent years.