What it's like to live in Waynesboro
Waynesboro 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 schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Waynesboro deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below 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
- Low crime rates
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Waynesboro compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Waynesboro
Based on Waynesboro's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,172
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,440 a year
- 42% of Waynesboro renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$37,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,860
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 23% below US
$1,086/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,086 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $188,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $188,600 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Franklin County is 3.8%, 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.
Franklin County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 59% below US
135 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 926/100k · Waynesboro Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°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▼ 47% below US
19% 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
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Catoctin Mountain Park (9 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Waynesboro'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 college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,086/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Waynesboro
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to Chambersburg →
13 mi away · pop. 22,319
Rent $1,099/mo · Income $56,576
Compare with Waynesboro →Moving to Carlisle →
37 mi away · pop. 21,852
Rent $1,094/mo · Income $61,720
Compare with Waynesboro →Not sure Waynesboro is the one?
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