Pennsylvania ranks among the most expensive US states for cost of living. Here’s why
Pennsylvania is among the 10 most expensive states to live in the U.S., according to one ranking from online pharmacy store Now Patient.
High prices for groceries and gas memberships contributed to the commonwealth’s 10th-place overall ranking in the “US Costly States comparison.”
The Now Patient list was based on metrics such as gas prices, cost of groceries, funeral costs, a cost of living score, health insurance prices and the cost of gym memberships. Sources included World Population Review, auto club AAA, Zippia, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, Value Penguin and Statista, according to Now Patient.
The category in which Pennsylvania ranked the highest was for grocery costs. It costs more than $400 per month in groceries on average to feed one person in Pennsylvania, Now Patient reports, compared to $183 in New Hampshire, which was ranked the cheapest state for groceries.
Pennsylvania also stood out for its gas prices. The ranking named the commonwealth the 14th most expensive among the 50 states for gas, with an average cost of $3.639 per gallon.
Gas prices in the commonwealth are up from this summer, but still considerably lower than the summer of 2022. Here’s what to know about gas prices from June 2022 to this month, from AAA:
Note: This graphic will automatically update as new data become available.
Despite the commonwealth’s high ranking for expensive gas, fuel costs were down 19.9% across the country as of July from the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cost of living in Pennsylvania
Here’s how Pennsylvania performed in Now Patient’s ranking:
Funeral costs: 18th place, $7,892 average cost
Gas prices: 14th place, $3.639 per gallon
Cost of groceries: 10th place, $401.02 average grocery cost per month per person
Cost of living score (includes housing costs, utilities and more): 24th place, score of 99
Health insurance: 30th place, $532
Gym membership: Tied for 11th place, $30.20
Overall place: 10th
How affordable is State College?
The minimum wage a State College resident can make to afford basic necessities is $18.05 for a single adult with no children, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is the same as the federal government’s at $7.25 for non-tipped workers and $2.83 per hour for tipped employees.
To afford a typically priced two-bedroom rental, a Pennsylvania resident would need to make $23.61 per hour, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Using that figure, someone making the commonwealth’s minimum wage would need to work 130 hours per week to afford to rent a two-bedroom unit.
Median incomes in Pennsylvania counties range from $43,615 in Cameron County to $109,969 in Chester County, according to a ranking from financial website SmartAsset. The company used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources to compile the ranking.
