Should I Move To
Erie, Pennsylvania is home to about 94,826 people. On cost of living, it lands in the very affordable band — 18% below the national average. The median renter pays around $809 a month against a typical household income of $43,135. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 54 out of 100 (grade C-), putting it at #331 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Erie's composite cost-of-living index lands at 82 (100 = US average), which puts it in the very affordable band. At $809/mo against $43,135 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 23% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $101,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is cold-winter — summer averages around 78°F, winter averages around 21°F. Precipitation totals about 41 inches a year. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. On safety, this is a middle-of-the-pack city — neither standout nor concerning. AQI runs about 37 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Erie doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 54/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (95/100); the soft spot is job market (10/100).
Erie reads as a moderate fit for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 61/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is affordability (95/100); the soft spot is job market (10/100).
Erie reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 68/100 — a B-. Its standout dimension is affordability (95/100); the soft spot is job market (10/100).
Erie doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 48/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (95/100); the soft spot is job market (10/100).
Our overall score for Erie is 54/100 — a C-, sitting at #331 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Erie sits at 82 — very affordable, 18% below the national average. Median renter pays around $809 a month.
Erie runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 78°F, winter's near 21°F; 41 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 69/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 94,826 people live here, with 22% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 35.
Drop Erie into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Erie with other Pennsylvania cities scored on UrbRank.
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