Moving to Pennsylvania from Vermont

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Vermont to Pennsylvania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Vermont to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 0.4% cheaper than Vermont. A $75,000 salary in Vermont would need to be roughly $72,792 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Vermont and Pennsylvania.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $72,792

To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.1% less

Groceries

pay 2.9% more

Transportation

pay 3.6% more

Housing

pay 3.1% less

Childcare

pay 4.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.1% less

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

The numbers behind daily life in Pennsylvania compared to Vermont.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VT
211
PA
264
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VT
1802
PA
1567

Vermont generally does better on safety, though Pennsylvania leads in property crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

VT
3.9%
PA
5.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

VT
27.2%
PA
34.4%

Vermont performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

VT
$290,500
PA
$240,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

VT
$1,193
PA
$1,162

Pennsylvania generally does better on what about housing?, though Vermont leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

VT
88.4%
PA
88.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

VT
23 min
PA
27 min

Vermont generally does better on infrastructure, though Pennsylvania leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

VT
2.6%
PA
3.7%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

VT
$56,462
PA
$61,506

Vermont generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

VT
78.8 yrs
PA
76.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

VT
31%
PA
24%

Vermont 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.

Montpelier Rain: 42.4 in/yr (1078 mm)
56° / 32°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Montpelier Harrisburg
Jan–Mar 34°/8°F (1°/-13°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/42°F (20°/5°C) 71°/50°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) 81°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 52°/34°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Montpelier Harrisburg
Jan 28°/3°F (-2.2°/-15.9°C) 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)
Feb 33°/6°F (0.3°/-14.5°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)
Mar 42°/16°F (5.4°/-8.9°C) 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)
Apr 55°/30°F (12.8°/-1.1°C) 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
May 69°/42°F (20.3°/5.5°C) 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)
Jun 78°/53°F (25.5°/11.7°C) 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)
Jul 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C) 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)
Aug 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)
Sep 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.2°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)
Oct 59°/35°F (15.1°/1.4°C) 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)
Nov 46°/26°F (7.6°/-3.4°C) 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)
Dec 32°/13°F (0.2°/-10.8°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 Vermont?

On average Pennsylvania is about 3% less expensive than Vermont, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?

Budget about $18,198 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?

Vermont generally does better on safety, though Pennsylvania leads in property crime rate.

How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Vermont?

Vermont performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 56°F in Montpelier. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Montpelier gets 42.4 in.

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