Erie, PA
Census place 4224000 · pop 93,850
The 'Flagship City' on Lake Erie, near the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie and home of the rebuilt Brig Niagara.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$46,113 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.18% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
23.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-3.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
54.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.3% 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 90.0% · worse than most cities
88.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
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 24.3% · worse than most cities
23.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
38 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 77/100 · better than most cities
68/100 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 24 min · better than most cities
18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
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 $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,071/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$115,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Erie: 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 Erie, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Erie scores 51/100 — 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 Erie, PA expensive to live in?
- Erie has a median home value of $115,200 and typical rent around $1,071/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Erie, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is median household income ($46,113) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Erie, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($115,200) — 94/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: The 'Flagship City' on Lake Erie, near the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie and home of the rebuilt Brig Niagara.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.