What it's like to live in Lebanon
Lebanon is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lebanon deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Lebanon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lebanon
Based on Lebanon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,984
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,680 a year
- 42% of Lebanon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$31,300
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,650
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 30% below US
$992/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $992 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 $156,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $156,500 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 23% above US
5.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 48% below US
171 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 1175/100k · Lebanon Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 21% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 5.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 56% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to 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 (5 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lebanon'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 air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($992/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Lebanon
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