What it's like to live in Meadville
Meadville 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 schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Meadville deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, a population that has been shrinking, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
How Meadville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Meadville
Based on Meadville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,710
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,200 a year
- 45% of Meadville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$23,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,640
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 39% below US
$855/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $855 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 $116,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $116,400 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Crawford County is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Crawford County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 62% above US
534 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1143/100k · Meadville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 44% below US
15 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 14.5 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°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 & workforce▼ 37% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 James A Garfield National Historic Site (62 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Meadville'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 crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($855/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Meadville
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