Moving to Pennsylvania from Georgia

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Georgia to Pennsylvania — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Georgia to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 6.8% more expensive than Georgia. A $75,000 salary in Georgia would need to be roughly $76,610 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harrisburg averages 61°F vs 72°F in Atlanta, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Georgia to Pennsylvania.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $76,610

To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 0.7% more

Groceries

pay 14.2% more

Transportation

pay 2.4% more

Housing

pay 7.5% less

Childcare

pay 34.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.2% 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

How Georgia and Pennsylvania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

GA
343
PA
264
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

GA
1779
PA
1567

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Georgia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

GA
11.8%
PA
5.5%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

GA
37.0%
PA
34.4%

Pennsylvania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Georgia leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

GA
$272,900
PA
$240,500
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

GA
$1,306
PA
$1,162

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Georgia across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

GA
89.5%
PA
88.8%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

GA
28 min
PA
27 min

Georgia generally does better on infrastructure, though Pennsylvania leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GA
3.3%
PA
3.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

GA
$61,706
PA
$61,506

Georgia generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

GA
75.6 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

GA
22%
PA
24%

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Georgia 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.

AtlantaRain: 49.7 in/yr (1263 mm)
72°/53°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsAtlantaHarrisburg
Jan–Mar58°/39°F (14°/4°C)42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun79°/60°F (26°/16°C)71°/50°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep86°/69°F (30°/20°C)81°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec64°/45°F (17°/7°C)52°/34°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
MonthAtlantaHarrisburg
Jan52°/34°F (11.3°/1.3°C)36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)
Feb57°/38°F (13.7°/3.2°C)40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)
Mar65°/44°F (18.1°/6.7°C)49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)
Apr72°/51°F (22.5°/10.8°C)61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
May80°/60°F (26.6°/15.7°C)72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)
Jun86°/68°F (30.2°/20.1°C)81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)
Jul89°/71°F (31.7°/21.8°C)85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)
Aug88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C)83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)
Sep82°/65°F (27.9°/18.2°C)75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)
Oct73°/54°F (22.6°/12.2°C)63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)
Nov64°/44°F (17.6°/6.9°C)52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)
Dec54°/36°F (12.2°/2.5°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 Georgia?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Pennsylvania and Georgia; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $19,152 in Pennsylvania for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Pennsylvania safe?

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Georgia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Georgia?

Pennsylvania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Georgia leads in adult smoking rate.

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

The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 72°F in Atlanta. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Atlanta gets 49.7 in.

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