Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in Pennsylvania?
At Pennsylvania's median household income of $77,545, the 30% rule leaves about $1,699 a month for rent after about $239 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $1,057 in the Pittsburgh metro to $1,388 in the Philadelphia metro. Each of the 6 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in Pennsylvania
$1,699/mo
30% of gross income is $1,938 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $239, which leaves $1,699 for rent.
Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $1,057 to $1,388. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.
- Take-home
- $5,084/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $3,398First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $2,154/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $5,084 goes at your max rent of $1,699. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent33%$1,699
- Electric, gas, water3%$139
- Internet2%$87
- Renters insurance<1%$13
- Left over62%$3,146
Housing comes to $1,938 a month, 30% of gross income and 38% of take-home. That leaves $3,146 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in Pennsylvania
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Philadelphia metro
$1,388 1-bed
Pittsburgh metro
$1,057 1-bed
Allentown metro
$1,167 1-bed
Harrisburg metro
$1,078 1-bed
Lancaster metro
$1,124 1-bed
Household income in Pennsylvania
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in Pennsylvania at $77,545. That was up 2.0% from $75,993 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $816. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in Pennsylvania
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in Pennsylvania, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $371 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $137 |
| Natural gas | $98 |
| Water | $39 |
| Sewer | $33 |
| Trash | $64 |
| Internet | $87 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, Pennsylvania's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how Pennsylvania's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.