These Are The 10 Most Expensive Cities In Pennsylvania


We used science and data to determine which cities in Pennsylvania that will put a big dent in your wallet.

Chris Kolmar, About HomeSnacks
June 19, 2016 - 422 views
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This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out.

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Everyone wants a home that mixes affordability with comfort and Pennsylvania does this very well. Families love the Keystone State’s beaches, midlands, and mountains as tourists before moving here and calling it home.

But before you decide to relocate, you have to do some research into the exact cost of living around the state — and that’s how we’re going to help you.

These are the places in Pennsylvania that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state. After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Pennsylvania:

  1. Swarthmore (Photos)
  2. Collegeville (Photos)
  3. Fox Chapel (Photos)
  4. Media (Photos)
  5. Conshohocken (Photos)
  6. Hatboro (Photos)
  7. Ambler (Photos)
  8. West Chester (Photos)
  9. Perkasie (Photos)
  10. Franklin Park (Photos)

If you’re wondering, Oil City is the most affordable city in Pennsylvania.

Read on to see why these places cost so much more than average. Or check out the most affordable places in Pennsylvania.

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How We Determined The Most Expensive Cities In Pennsylvania

There are basic necessities that you have to buy no matter where in the country you live. Those things include:

  • Housing
  • Food
  • Gas
  • Health Insurance
  • Utilities
  • Transportation
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You can then compare the cost of these things in each of the places in Pennsylvania to figure out which is the most expensive.

For reference, the United State averages a cost of living 100. A score below 100 means that the city has a below average cost of living while a score over 100 has a high cost of living for that category.

So we used that cost of living index in order to rank all of the 181 places in Pennsylvania that have more than 5,000 people.

The city with the highest cost of living index, Swarthmore, rank as being the most expensive.

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1. Swarthmore

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 6,198
Services Index: 115
Groceries Index: 117
Housing Index: 200
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 117
Utilities Index: 121

2. Collegeville

Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 5,263
Services Index: 115
Groceries Index: 117
Housing Index: 162
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 117
Utilities Index: 121

3. Fox Chapel

Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 5,397
Services Index: 97
Groceries Index: 100
Housing Index: 303
Healthcare Index: 95
Transportation Index: 120
Utilities Index: 108

4. Media

Media, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 5,341
Services Index: 115
Groceries Index: 117
Housing Index: 143
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 117
Utilities Index: 121

5. Conshohocken

Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 7,864
Services Index: 115
Groceries Index: 117
Housing Index: 140
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 117
Utilities Index: 121

6. Hatboro

Hatboro, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 7,403
Services Index: 115
Groceries Index: 117
Housing Index: 131
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 117
Utilities Index: 121

7. Ambler

Ambler, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 6,481
Services Index: 115
Groceries Index: 117
Housing Index: 130
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 117
Utilities Index: 121

8. West Chester

West Chester, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 18,860
Services Index: 108
Groceries Index: 103
Housing Index: 150
Healthcare Index: 103
Transportation Index: 96
Utilities Index: 114

9. Perkasie

Perkasie, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 8,511
Services Index: 115
Groceries Index: 117
Housing Index: 126
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 117
Utilities Index: 121

10. Franklin Park

Franklin Park, Pennsylvania

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 13,882
Services Index: 97
Groceries Index: 100
Housing Index: 151
Healthcare Index: 95
Transportation Index: 120
Utilities Index: 108

Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck

Well there you have it, the places in Pennsylvania that have the highest cost of living, with Swarthmore ranking as the most exensive city in the Keystone State.

If you’re curious, here are the most least expensive cities in Pennsylvania:

  1. Oil City
  2. New Castle
  3. Franklin

For more Pennsylvania reading , check out:

Detailed List Of The Most Expensive Cities In Pennsylvania

City Rank Population Services Groceries Healthcare Housing Transportation Utilities
Swarthmore 1 6,198 115 117 99 200 117 121
Collegeville 2 5,263 115 117 99 162 117 121
Fox Chapel 3 5,397 97 100 95 303 120 108
Media 4 5,341 115 117 99 143 117 121
Conshohocken 5 7,864 115 117 99 140 117 121
Hatboro 6 7,403 115 117 99 131 117 121
Ambler 7 6,481 115 117 99 130 117 121
West Chester 8 18,860 108 103 103 150 96 114
Perkasie 9 8,511 115 117 99 126 117 121
Franklin Park 10 13,882 97 100 95 151 120 108
Lansdale 11 16,382 115 117 99 119 117 121
Souderton 12 6,668 115 117 99 118 117 121
Phoenixville 13 16,530 115 117 99 116 117 121
Ridley Park 14 7,021 115 117 99 115 117 121
Stroudsburg 15 5,528 112 110 113 119 111 97
State College 16 42,066 99 104 98 130 111 107
Kennett Square 17 6,123 108 103 103 121 96 114
Wyomissing 18 10,467 108 103 103 120 96 114
East Stroudsburg 19 9,773 112 110 113 113 111 97
Emmaus 20 11,291 115 117 99 103 117 121
Oxford 21 5,100 108 103 103 113 96 114
Norwood 22 5,897 115 117 99 100 117 121
Brookhaven 23 8,045 108 103 103 111 96 114
Bristol 24 9,657 115 117 99 99 117 121
Glenolden 25 7,150 115 117 99 98 117 121
Prospect Park 26 6,464 115 117 99 98 117 121
Lansdowne 27 10,618 115 117 99 94 117 121
Bethlehem 28 75,050 112 110 113 98 111 97
Bangor 29 5,256 112 110 113 96 111 97
Nazareth 30 5,723 112 110 113 94 111 97
Camp Hill 31 7,891 103 99 94 107 101 113
Catasauqua 32 6,477 115 117 99 86 117 121
Yeadon 33 11,506 115 117 99 85 117 121
Philadelphia 34 1,546,920 115 117 99 84 117 121
Allentown 35 118,793 115 117 99 83 117 121
Birdsboro 36 5,158 108 103 103 93 96 114
Clifton Heights 37 6,656 115 117 99 83 117 121
Northampton 38 9,921 112 110 113 89 111 97
Folcroft 39 6,615 115 117 99 82 117 121
Sharon Hill 40 5,685 115 117 99 80 117 121
Lititz 41 9,386 103 99 94 99 101 113
Jefferson Hills 42 10,984 97 100 95 97 120 108
Dunmore 43 13,974 112 110 113 85 111 97
Collingdale 44 8,778 115 117 99 78 117 121
Millersville 45 8,320 103 99 94 96 101 113
Wilson 46 7,852 112 110 113 83 111 97
Clarks Summit 47 5,101 100 104 112 88 123 91
Whitehall 48 13,931 115 117 99 76 117 121
Moosic 49 5,712 112 110 113 82 111 97
Coatesville 50 13,130 108 103 103 85 96 114
Easton 51 26,977 112 110 113 81 111 97
Oakmont 52 6,358 97 100 95 91 120 108
Economy 53 9,133 97 100 95 91 120 108
Bellefonte 54 6,250 99 104 98 89 111 107
Shillington 55 5,272 108 103 103 84 96 114
New Holland 56 5,407 103 99 94 92 101 113
Mechanicsburg 57 8,971 103 99 94 91 101 113
Carlisle 58 18,877 103 99 94 89 101 113
Mount Joy 59 7,774 103 99 94 89 101 113
Hanover 60 15,365 103 99 94 88 101 113
Darby 61 10,689 115 117 99 68 117 121
New Cumberland 62 7,276 103 99 94 88 101 113
Lewisburg 63 5,781 103 99 94 87 101 113
Archbald 64 7,053 100 104 112 80 123 91
Westmont 65 5,086 99 104 98 83 111 107
Lehighton 66 5,427 112 110 113 74 111 97
Pleasant Hills 67 8,291 97 100 95 84 120 108
Blakely 68 6,534 100 104 112 78 123 91
Shippensburg 69 5,479 103 99 94 85 101 113
Chambersburg 70 20,430 103 99 94 85 101 113
Plum 71 27,386 97 100 95 82 120 108
Ephrata 72 13,529 103 99 94 84 101 113
Palmerton 73 5,382 112 110 113 69 111 97
Waynesboro 74 10,673 103 99 94 83 101 113
Old Forge 75 8,265 100 104 112 75 123 91
Dickson City 76 6,049 100 104 112 75 123 91
Palmyra 77 7,399 103 99 94 81 101 113
Swoyersville 78 5,038 100 104 112 70 123 91
Exeter 79 5,633 100 104 112 69 123 91
South Williamsport 80 6,370 100 104 112 69 123 91
Kingston 81 13,105 100 104 112 69 123 91
Red Lion 82 6,343 103 99 94 77 101 113
Olyphant 83 5,178 100 104 112 68 123 91
Lower Burrell 84 11,653 97 100 95 74 120 108
Hollidaysburg 85 5,792 99 104 98 69 111 107
Clarion 86 5,000 97 100 95 69 120 108
Scranton 87 75,842 100 104 112 64 123 91
Canonsburg 88 8,973 97 100 95 69 120 108
Forest Hills 89 6,501 97 100 95 68 120 108
West View 90 6,752 97 100 95 68 120 108
Greensburg 91 14,726 97 100 95 67 120 108
Bloomsburg 92 14,699 103 99 94 69 101 113
Selinsgrove 93 5,698 103 99 94 69 101 113
Indiana 94 14,025 99 104 98 65 111 107
Baldwin 95 19,791 97 100 95 66 120 108
Sayre 96 5,553 100 104 112 61 123 91
Dormont 97 8,565 97 100 95 66 120 108
Castle Shannon 98 8,317 97 100 95 66 120 108
Huntingdon 99 7,069 99 104 98 64 111 107
Crafton 100 5,931 97 100 95 66 120 108

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