What it's like to live in Plum
Plum is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Plum deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
How Plum compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Plum
Based on Plum's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,354
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,080 a year
- 37% of Plum renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,760
- Homes cost 2.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,177/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,177 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $227,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $227,600 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 83% below US
61 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 153/100k · Plum Police Department · 2024 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.1 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% 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
Education & workforce▲ 25% above US
45% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 45% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Necessity National Battlefield (48 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Plum's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,177/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Plum
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