Altoona, PA
Census place 4202184 · pop 43,196
Railroad town home to the Horseshoe Curve, an 1854 engineering marvel that let trains climb the Allegheny Mountains.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$51,250 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
20.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
16.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.14% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
63.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
52/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,129/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$119,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Altoona: Crime, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Altoona, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Altoona scores 58/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is median household income. Pennsylvania overall ranks #37 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Altoona, PA expensive to live in?
- Altoona has a median home value of $119,900 and typical rent around $1,129/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Altoona, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is median household income ($51,250) — 14/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Altoona, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($119,900) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Railroad town home to the Horseshoe Curve, an 1854 engineering marvel that let trains climb the Allegheny Mountains.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.