Moving to Pennsylvania from Indiana

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Indiana to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 15.9% more expensive than Indiana. A $75,000 salary in Indiana would need to be roughly $83,464 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $83,464

To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 6.6% more

Groceries

pay 26.3% more

Transportation

pay 21.4% more

Housing

pay 10.2% more

Childcare

pay 25.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 15.0% 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 Indiana to Pennsylvania.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

IN
327
PA
264
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

IN
1519
PA
1567

Indiana generally does better on safety, though Pennsylvania leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

IN
7.3%
PA
5.5%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

IN
38.5%
PA
34.4%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

IN
$201,600
PA
$240,500
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

IN
$1,020
PA
$1,162

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

IN
88.5%
PA
88.8%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

IN
24 min
PA
27 min

Indiana 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

IN
2.7%
PA
3.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

IN
$59,083
PA
$61,506

Pennsylvania generally does better on employment & economy, though Indiana leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

IN
75.0 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

IN
19%
PA
24%

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Indiana 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.

IndianapolisRain: 40.8 in/yr (1036 mm)
62°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsIndianapolisHarrisburg
Jan–Mar42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun72°/53°F (22°/12°C)71°/50°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep81°/63°F (27°/17°C)81°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec51°/35°F (11°/2°C)52°/34°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
MonthIndianapolisHarrisburg
Jan35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)
Feb40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)
Mar51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)
Apr63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
May72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)
Jun81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)
Jul84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)
Aug83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)
Sep77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)
Oct64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)
Nov52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)
Dec38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°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 Indiana?

No — Pennsylvania is on average about 11% more expensive than Indiana. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,866 in Pennsylvania on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Pennsylvania safe?

Indiana generally does better on safety, though Pennsylvania leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Indiana?

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

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

The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 62°F in Indianapolis. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Indianapolis gets 40.8 in.

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