Moving to Pennsylvania from Massachusetts
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 10.3% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $62,972 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $62,972 To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 12.1% less Transportation pay 0.1% less Housing pay 21.4% less Childcare pay 10.3% less Entertainment and Sports pay 15.9% 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. How Massachusetts and Pennsylvania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Pennsylvania leads in violent crime rate. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Massachusetts performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Massachusetts generally does better on infrastructure, though Pennsylvania leads in average commute. 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 Massachusetts generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Massachusetts 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Generally yes: Pennsylvania runs about 16% cheaper than Massachusetts on average, though it depends heavily on the city. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $15,743 in Pennsylvania for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Pennsylvania leads in violent crime rate. Massachusetts performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Boston Harrisburg Jan–Mar 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) Apr–Jun 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) Jul–Sep 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) Oct–Dec 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) View all months
Month Boston Harrisburg Jan 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) Feb 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) Mar 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) Apr 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) May 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) Jun 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) Jul 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) Aug 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) Sep 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) Oct 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) Nov 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) Dec 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than Massachusetts?
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