What it's like to live in Bloomsburg
Bloomsburg is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bloomsburg deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Bloomsburg compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bloomsburg
Based on Bloomsburg's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,960
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,200 a year
- 38% of Bloomsburg renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$35,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,910
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 31% below US
$980/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $980 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $179,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $179,100 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Columbia County is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Columbia County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 23% below US
253 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 737/100k · Bloomsburg Town Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 43% below US
15 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 14.7 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Appalachian National Scenic Trail (41 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bloomsburg's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($980/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Bloomsburg
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to Hazleton →
25 mi away · pop. 30,111
Rent $1,089/mo · Income $46,177
Compare with Bloomsburg →Moving to Pottsville →
26 mi away · pop. 13,364
Rent $822/mo · Income $54,332
Compare with Bloomsburg →Not sure Bloomsburg is the one?
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