Cost of Living in State College
State College's cost of living runs genuinely elevated, driven by an expensive, competitive housing market and an above-average effective property-tax rate.
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Learn moreA genuinely expensive housing market
Zillow's average home value ran $420,353, with BrightMLS closing prices running as high as $445,000-$708,000 -- genuinely elevated relative to most other Pennsylvania Tier A markets documented in this project.
An above-average effective property-tax rate
State College's median effective property tax rate (3.24%) runs meaningfully above Pennsylvania's own 1.26% Tax Foundation-cited statewide average.
A genuinely moderate local income-tax layer
State College Borough's own 1.3% resident EIT, layered under Pennsylvania's flat 3.07% state rate, runs genuinely moderate relative to other Pennsylvania Tier A markets in this project.
Key takeaways
- State College's housing costs run genuinely elevated relative to most other Pennsylvania Tier A markets.
- State College's effective property-tax rate (3.24%) runs meaningfully above Pennsylvania's statewide average.
- The borough's own local EIT (1.3%) runs genuinely moderate for Pennsylvania.
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