What it's like to live in Williamsport
Williamsport 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. Williamsport 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
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- 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 Williamsport compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Williamsport
Based on Williamsport'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
- 47% of Williamsport renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$30,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,430
- 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▼ 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 $154,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $154,300 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 12% above US
4.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 72% below US
91 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 1348/100k · Williamsport Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 39% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.8 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; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°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 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 25% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. 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 14:1, 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 (65 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Williamsport'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 ($855/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes.
See all the data for Williamsport →·All Pennsylvania cities →
Other places near Williamsport
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to Bloomsburg →
34 mi away · pop. 13,024
Rent $980/mo · Income $51,536
Compare with Williamsport →Moving to State College →
53 mi away · pop. 41,050
Rent $1,273/mo · Income $45,424
Compare with Williamsport →Moving to Nanticoke →
54 mi away · pop. 10,653
Rent $792/mo · Income $57,462
Compare with Williamsport →Not sure Williamsport is the one?
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