Moving to Pennsylvania from Arkansas

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Arkansas to Pennsylvania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Arkansas to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 17.4% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $87,665 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harrisburg averages 61°F vs 72°F in Little Rock, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Arkansas to Pennsylvania.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $87,665

To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.0% less

Groceries

pay 29.5% more

Transportation

pay 35.0% more

Housing

pay 9.4% more

Childcare

pay 37.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Arkansas to Pennsylvania.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
610
PA
264
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
2195
PA
1567

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AR
8.6%
PA
5.5%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AR
38.3%
PA
34.4%

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AR
$175,300
PA
$240,500
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AR
$914
PA
$1,162

Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Pennsylvania leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AR
84.9%
PA
88.8%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AR
22 min
PA
27 min

Arkansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Pennsylvania leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AR
4.2%
PA
3.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AR
$47,319
PA
$61,506

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AR
73.8 yrs
PA
76.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AR
16%
PA
24%

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Arkansas across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Little RockRain: 50.0 in/yr (1271 mm)
72°/53°F

Avg. annual high / low

HarrisburgRain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
61°/42°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsLittle RockHarrisburg
Jan–Mar56°/38°F (13°/3°C)42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun80°/61°F (27°/16°C)71°/50°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep89°/70°F (32°/21°C)81°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec62°/44°F (17°/7°C)52°/34°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
MonthLittle RockHarrisburg
Jan49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)
Feb54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)
Mar64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)
Apr73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
May80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)
Jun88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)
Jul92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)
Aug92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)
Sep84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)
Oct73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)
Nov62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)
Dec51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C)40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than Arkansas?

No — Pennsylvania is on average about 17% more expensive than Arkansas. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,916 in Pennsylvania on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Pennsylvania safe?

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Arkansas?

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to Arkansas?

The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.

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