Moving to Pennsylvania from District of Columbia
What to Expect
Considering a move from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 30.2% cheaper than District of Columbia. A $75,000 salary in District of Columbia would need to be roughly $52,400 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between District of Columbia and Pennsylvania.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $52,400
To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 25.0% less
Groceries
pay 21.1% less
Transportation
pay 16.2% less
Housing
pay 41.5% less
Childcare
pay 34.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 35.9% less
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
The numbers behind daily life in Pennsylvania compared to District of Columbia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
District of Columbia performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
District of Columbia generally does better on infrastructure, though Pennsylvania leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
District of Columbia generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
District of Columbia performs better than Pennsylvania 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than District of Columbia?
On average Pennsylvania is about 30% less expensive than District of Columbia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?
Budget about $13,100 for 3 months in Pennsylvania (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Pennsylvania safe?
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to District of Columbia?
District of Columbia performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to District of Columbia?
The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
