Pennsylvania: Study Shows the Actual Cost of Living in the State

Each year, the annual average cost of living changes, and that number varies widely from state to state. A home in one area of the country can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more than that same size home in another area, because the cost of living is so different depending on where you're living in the United States. So, what's the actual number in Pennsylvania?

First, let's get to the definition of cost of living. According to the financial experts at Investopedia, it's simply the "money needed for essentials like housing, food, taxes, and healthcare in a specific location and time" and "is often used to compare the expenses of living in different cities." They add that "higher living costs, like in New York, require higher salaries to afford living in the area."

The staff at Visual Capitalist has put together a feature about the cost of living across America. So, what's the most expensive state in which to live in the U.S.? According to their data, it's Hawaii, where annual household costs are $141,127. Oklahoma has the lowest annual expenses at $66,284. Do the math, and that means living in one U.S. state versus another can alter your annual expenses by up to $75,000.

As for methodology, Visual Capitalist used GOBankingRate's analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey and Missouri Economic Research and Information Center data as of Q3 2025 for their research, the most recent data available. "Most states cluster between roughly $70,000 and $90,000, while coastal and remote states tend to cost far more," they note in the piece.

So, where does Pennsylvania land? According to the study, the annual cost of living in the state is $76,257. That also puts the state as the No. 26 most expensive, when it comes to expenses for residents, in the country.