Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning in Pennsylvania
The widest gaps between median rent and the full monthly cost of owning the median home. A large gap does not automatically mean renting is the better decision, because rent buys no equity and is not fixed for thirty years, but it does show where the market prices ownership at a steep premium.
Pennsylvania ranked
| # | County | Monthly saved by renting | Median rent | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chester County | $2,075 | $1,691 | $3,766 |
| 2 | Bucks County | $1,938 | $1,537 | $3,475 |
| 3 | Montgomery County | $1,782 | $1,612 | $3,394 |
| 4 | Delaware County | $1,398 | $1,315 | $2,713 |
| 5 | Centre County | $1,342 | $1,181 | $2,523 |
| 6 | Butler County | $1,266 | $1,018 | $2,284 |
| 7 | Northampton County | $1,157 | $1,335 | $2,492 |
| 8 | Adams County | $1,125 | $1,084 | $2,209 |
| 9 | Lancaster County | $1,103 | $1,289 | $2,392 |
| 10 | Lehigh County | $1,098 | $1,326 | $2,424 |
| 11 | Perry County | $1,088 | $838 | $1,926 |
| 12 | Juniata County | $1,038 | $730 | $1,768 |
| 13 | Cumberland County | $1,030 | $1,184 | $2,214 |
| 14 | Berks County | $1,015 | $1,143 | $2,158 |
| 15 | Wayne County | $991 | $979 | $1,970 |
| 16 | Fulton County | $981 | $781 | $1,762 |
| 17 | Union County | $974 | $944 | $1,918 |
| 18 | Washington County | $962 | $922 | $1,884 |
| 19 | Montour County | $958 | $1,057 | $2,015 |
| 20 | York County | $953 | $1,150 | $2,103 |
| 21 | Franklin County | $931 | $1,071 | $2,002 |
| 22 | Wyoming County | $916 | $897 | $1,813 |
| 23 | Lebanon County | $902 | $1,087 | $1,989 |
| 24 | Snyder County | $893 | $890 | $1,783 |
| 25 | Susquehanna County | $875 | $913 | $1,788 |
| 26 | Westmoreland County | $865 | $843 | $1,708 |
| 27 | Lycoming County | $852 | $887 | $1,739 |
| 28 | Sullivan County | $840 | $781 | $1,621 |
| 29 | Monroe County | $837 | $1,347 | $2,184 |
| 30 | Allegheny County | $828 | $1,111 | $1,939 |
| 31 | Columbia County | $826 | $904 | $1,730 |
| 32 | Beaver County | $808 | $867 | $1,675 |
| 33 | Dauphin County | $803 | $1,153 | $1,956 |
| 34 | Pike County | $787 | $1,383 | $2,170 |
| 35 | Carbon County | $773 | $975 | $1,748 |
| 36 | Clinton County | $766 | $815 | $1,581 |
| 37 | Huntingdon County | $761 | $795 | $1,556 |
| 38 | Lackawanna County | $750 | $973 | $1,723 |
| 39 | Bradford County | $739 | $868 | $1,607 |
| 40 | Bedford County | $716 | $771 | $1,487 |
| 41 | Tioga County | $715 | $850 | $1,565 |
| 42 | Erie County | $702 | $876 | $1,578 |
| 43 | Northumberland County | $603 | $777 | $1,380 |
| 44 | Greene County | $600 | $754 | $1,354 |
| 45 | Mercer County | $599 | $808 | $1,407 |
| 46 | Philadelphia County | $597 | $1,323 | $1,920 |
| 47 | Indiana County | $595 | $786 | $1,381 |
| 48 | Potter County | $585 | $767 | $1,352 |
| 49 | Armstrong County | $577 | $802 | $1,379 |
| 50 | Clarion County | $573 | $785 | $1,358 |
| 51 | Mifflin County | $569 | $792 | $1,361 |
| 52 | Luzerne County | $562 | $958 | $1,520 |
| 53 | Blair County | $554 | $854 | $1,408 |
| 54 | Crawford County | $553 | $800 | $1,353 |
| 55 | Lawrence County | $522 | $778 | $1,300 |
| 56 | Elk County | $503 | $720 | $1,223 |
| 57 | Schuylkill County | $496 | $842 | $1,338 |
| 58 | Somerset County | $467 | $749 | $1,216 |
| 59 | Jefferson County | $441 | $746 | $1,187 |
| 60 | Fayette County | $426 | $771 | $1,197 |
| 61 | Warren County | $423 | $756 | $1,179 |
| 62 | Clearfield County | $395 | $788 | $1,183 |
| 63 | Cambria County | $390 | $733 | $1,123 |
| 64 | Venango County | $342 | $774 | $1,116 |
| 65 | Forest County | $262 | $808 | $1,070 |
| 66 | McKean County | $253 | $769 | $1,022 |
| 67 | Cameron County | $243 | $699 | $942 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Pennsylvania