State College, PA
Census place 4273808 · pop 41,050
Home of Penn State University's main University Park campus, which dwarfs the town's own population.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
38.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
26.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.54 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$45,424 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
83.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-2.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$437,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,920/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.05% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
40 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 3.6% · better than most cities
2.7% 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 77/100 · better than most cities
37/100 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
15 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
68.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Not measured for State College: 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 State College, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, State College scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher and its weakest is poverty rate. 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 State College, PA expensive to live in?
- State College has a median home value of $437,800 and typical rent around $1,920/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in State College, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is poverty rate (38.1%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is State College, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (68.4%) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of Penn State University's main University Park campus, which dwarfs the town's own population.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.