Moving to Pennsylvania from Ohio
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Ohio to Pennsylvania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Ohio to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 13.3% more expensive than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $86,333 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harrisburg averages 61°F vs 76°F in Columbus, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ohio to Pennsylvania.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $86,333
To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.0% more
Groceries
pay 21.4% more
Transportation
pay 3.0% less
Housing
pay 16.1% more
Childcare
pay 34.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.1% more
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 Ohio to Pennsylvania.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Ohio 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
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Ohio generally does better on what about housing?, though Pennsylvania leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Ohio performs better than Pennsylvania across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Ohio across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Ohio 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 | Columbus | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbus | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) |
| Feb | 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) |
| Jun | 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) |
| Jul | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) |
| Sep | 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) |
| Oct | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) |
| Nov | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) |
| Dec | 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C) | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than Ohio?
No — Pennsylvania is on average about 15% more expensive than Ohio. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,583 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 Ohio across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Ohio?
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to Ohio?
The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in.
