2023 Report: Cities in Pennsylvania where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Keystone state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Pennsylvania’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Pennsylvania, doxo’s data reveals, pays $1,922 in bills per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 215 cities and towns across Pennsylvania, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Pennsylvania and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Pennsylvania’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Pennsylvania residents pay $1,922 in household bills a month
The average Pennsylvania household pays $1,922 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Pennsylvania residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 29th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Maine ranks 28th, with annual monthly expenses of $1,934, and Montana ranks 30th, at $1,919.
Pennsylvania’s household expenses, on average, are 6.1% lower than the national average of $2,046.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Pennsylvania households spend 34% of their income on household bills.
Annually, Pennsylvania residents pay $116 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Pennsylvania by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Pennsylvania
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,922 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $116 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 29 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 34%
- Difference from the National Average: 6.1% lower
Housing bill category drives Pennsylvania’s low monthly bill expenses
The average Pennsylvania household pays $1,922 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses drive savings, with both being considerably lower than the national average. The average mortgage payment in Pennsylvania is $1,380, and average rent is $1,056, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.
Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for residents of Pennsylvania. Still, these expenses are lower than the national average. The average auto loan bill in Pennsylvania is $400 a month, compared to the national average of $467.
Compared to the national average, health insurance are a notably higher expense for residents of Pennsylvania. The average household in the state pays $123 a month for health insurance, compared to the national average of $120.
Utilities, by contrast, is more affordable in Pennsylvania. While US residents on average spend $351 per month on utilities, in Pennsylvania they spend just $336.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Pennsylvania Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Pennsylvania Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Pennsylvania Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,380 | $1,321 | 4% higher |
| Rent | $1,056 | $1,191 | 11% lower |
| Auto Loan | $400 | $467 | 14% lower |
| Utilities | $336 | $351 | 4% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $219 | $207 | 6% higher |
| Cable & Internet | $114 | $118 | 3% lower |
| Health Insurance | $123 | $120 | 3% higher |
| Mobile Phone | $113 | $119 | 5% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $79 | $84 | 6% lower |
| Life Insurance | $85 | $89 | 4% lower |
| Total | $1,922 | $2,046 | 6.1% lower |
Wynnewood tops the list of most expensive cities for Pennsylvania’s household bills
Residents of Wynnewood pay the highest household bills in the state of Pennsylvania, at an average of $3,243 per month. Wayne comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $3,093 on average per month.
In proportion to household income, however, Wynnewood’s bills are only slightly costlier than ones in Wayne. While Wynnewood’s monthly bill basket makes up 27% of average household income there, Wayne’s bill basket accounts for 26% of average household income in that area.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Pennsylvania Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 78) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills | |
| 1 | Wynnewood | $3,243 | 27% | |
| 2 | Wayne | $3,093 | 26% | |
| 3 | Plymouth Meeting | $3,000 | 35% | |
| 4 | Doylestown | $2,929 | 30% | |
| 5 | Malvern | $2,928 | 26% | |
| 6 | Glen Mills | $2,896 | 31% | |
| 7 | Langhorne | $2,885 | 36% | |
| 8 | Media | $2,884 | 34% | |
| 9 | Bryn Mawr | $2,878 | 29% | |
| 10 | Collegeville | $2,853 | 27% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Nanticoke is the most affordable Pennsylvania city for household bills
Out of 215 cities and towns, Nanticoke is the most affordable place in Pennsylvania, with residents paying $1,338 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 34% of local income in Nanticoke.
Kittanning comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Pennsylvania, with residents paying $1,412 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Pennsylvania are Carbondale ($1,421 per month), Apollo ($1,423 per month), and Lewistown ($1,428 per month).
10 Most Affordable Pennsylvania Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (206-215 out of 215) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 206 | Sunbury | $1,456 | 39% |
| 207 | Saint Marys | $1,449 | 32% |
| 208 | Bradford | $1,448 | 38% |
| 209 | Tyrone | $1,441 | 33% |
| 210 | Warren | $1,436 | 34% |
| 211 | Lewistown | $1,428 | 34% |
| 212 | Apollo | $1,423 | 28% |
| 213 | Carbondale | $1,421 | 36% |
| 214 | Kittanning | $1,412 | 30% |
| 215 | Nanticoke | $1,338 | 34% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Pennsylvania’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4,200 towns and cities across the country.