Should I Move To
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania comes in at about 50,055 residents. Cost of living comes out moderate — essentially matching the national average. Rent typically lands near $944/mo, and the median household income is about $46,654. Overall, 48/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #571 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
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.
Cost-of-living index of 98 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's moderate territory. With median rent at $944/mo and median household income at $46,654, housing takes about 24% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $112,100.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 87°F, winters around 27°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 45 inches annually. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential. AQI runs about 47 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Harrisburg is a tougher sell for families. The profile-weighted score is 54/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is walkability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
On the retirees profile, Harrisburg sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 64/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is walkability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
On the remote workers profile, Harrisburg sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 62/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is walkability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Harrisburg is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 47/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is walkability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Our overall score for Harrisburg is 48/100 — a D, sitting at #571 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Harrisburg sits at 98 — moderate, essentially matching the national average. Median renter pays around $944 a month.
Harrisburg runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 87°F, winter's near 27°F; 45 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 72/100. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential.
Roughly 50,055 people live here, with 24% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 32.
Drop Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg with other Pennsylvania cities scored on UrbRank.
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