Moving to Pennsylvania from Washington
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Washington to Pennsylvania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Washington to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 11.9% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $66,100 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Washington to Pennsylvania.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $66,100
To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.6% less
Groceries
pay 4.4% less
Transportation
pay 8.8% less
Housing
pay 20.6% less
Childcare
pay 3.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.0% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Pennsylvania cost about 14% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Washington to Pennsylvania.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Washington 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
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pennsylvania leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington generally does better on infrastructure, though Pennsylvania leads in average commute.
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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs better than Pennsylvania across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than Washington?
Yes — Pennsylvania is on average about 12% cheaper than Washington. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,525 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 Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Washington?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pennsylvania leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
