Pennsylvania rent guide
The Cheapest Cities to Rent in Pennsylvania (June 2026)
Data as of Jun 9, 2026 · 577 rentals across 85 Pennsylvania cities
Pennsylvania spans two very different rental worlds: the big metros (Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west) and a long list of affordable mid-size cities, Erie, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Reading, Allentown, Harrisburg, Altoona, where rent runs well below the coasts. Pittsburgh is one of the more affordable big metros anywhere; Philadelphia and its Main Line suburbs are the priciest. We track every apartment we can find and rank the cities below by their typical rent, straight from live listings.
The lowest typical rent right now is in Williamsport (about $906/mo), while Exton sits at the top ($2,084/mo). For most renters the Pittsburgh-vs-Philadelphia gap is the big decision; the bedroom count you need matters from there.
Pennsylvania cities by typical rent, cheapest first
| # | City | Typical | From | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williamsport | $906 | $800 | 6 |
| 2 | Erie | $1,033 | $850 | 6 |
| 3 | Monroeville | $1,203 | $850 | 10 |
| 4 | State College | $1,285 | $800 | 8 |
| 5 | Harrisburg | $1,307 | $896 | 35 |
| 6 | Coatesville | $1,350 | $933 | 5 |
| 7 | York | $1,350 | $999 | 13 |
| 8 | Scranton | $1,350 | $1,000 | 5 |
| 9 | Chambersburg | $1,381 | $836 | 5 |
| 10 | Allentown | $1,390 | $1,205 | 20 |
| 11 | Reading | $1,400 | $1,175 | 13 |
| 12 | Carlisle | $1,448 | $1,035 | 5 |
| 13 | Lancaster | $1,500 | $895 | 15 |
| 14 | Bethlehem | $1,560 | $1,405 | 17 |
| 15 | Philadelphia | $1,595 | $895 | 201 |
| 16 | Lansdale | $1,620 | $1,130 | 14 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh | $1,635 | $875 | 61 |
| 18 | Easton | $1,650 | $1,262 | 7 |
| 19 | Phoenixville | $1,775 | $1,557 | 6 |
| 20 | West Chester | $1,823 | $1,497 | 7 |
| 21 | Malvern | $1,877 | $1,540 | 5 |
| 22 | King of Prussia | $1,884 | $1,150 | 10 |
| 23 | Conshohocken | $1,934 | $1,709 | 5 |
| 24 | Exton | $2,084 | $1,755 | 8 |
How we rank them
“Typical” is the median rent across everything we track in a city, so half the listings are cheaper and half pricier. “From” is the single cheapest unit listed right now. We include cities with at least five live listings and exclude single rooms and senior housing. Small-city medians can swing on a handful of listings, so the bigger markets like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are the most stable. Refreshes when our data does (last updated Jun 9, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest city to rent in Pennsylvania?
By typical (median) rent it's Williamsport, around $906/mo, then Erie and Monroeville. The deep value is in the northeast and the old industrial cities (Erie, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Reading, Altoona), well below the two big metros. The ranking rebuilds from live listings, so it moves with the market.
Is Pittsburgh or Philadelphia cheaper to rent in?
Pittsburgh, by a clear margin: about $1,635/mo typical versus $1,595 in Philadelphia, roughly $-40/mo less. Pittsburgh is one of the more affordable big metros in the Northeast, while Philadelphia and especially its Main Line suburbs run higher. If budget is the priority between the two, Pittsburgh wins.
Where is rent most expensive in Pennsylvania?
Exton tops the list at about $2,084/mo. The priciest rents are the Philadelphia Main Line and close-in suburbs (Wayne, Malvern, West Chester, King of Prussia) and center-city Philadelphia, not the mid-size cities out west and northeast.
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