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Cost of living, pay and housing

40.82° N · 80.36° W · GEOID 4206240

Big Beaver

Beaver County, Pennsylvania · part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro

Limited data population under 5,000

PennsylvaniaBig Beaver, PABig BeaverBig Beaver

The short answer

Big Beaver is home to 1,843 people. Median household income is $71,678 a year and median rent is $975 a month, 16.3% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $186,100, about 2.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$975
29% below the median place
Median household income
$71,678
11% below the median place
Median home value
$186,100
42% below the median place
Unemployment
7.4%
52% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Big Beaver

  • 95% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 271 Pennsylvania places.
  • The median resident is 55.4 years old, older than in 96% of places its size. It is the highest of 271 Pennsylvania places.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 10.3% a year while household income rose 2.3%, so rent outran pay by more than in 96% of places its size.
  • 6.0% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 81% of places its size.
  • The median home is worth 2.6 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 80% of places its size.
01

Moving to Big Beaver

Beaver County gains about 3.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,575
Moved out5,117
Net+458

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Pennsylvania, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within PennsylvaniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$61K
Leavers$77K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Beaver County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Beaver County report $61,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $76,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$39,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $975 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,394 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $186,100.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 13.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
White Oak, PA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
4.0%
30% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
3.3
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBig BeaverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.0%30% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure3.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$60,99414% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$76,7249% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 95.4%, 44% above the median place.

Big Beaver16.3%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$39,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.3%
20% below the median place
Home price to income
2.6x
32% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$60,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Big Beaver, $975 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.3 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Big Beaver, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Swoyersville, PA12.5% vs 16.3%$2,900Compare
Twin Lakes, WI12.1% vs 16.3%$13,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Big Beaver.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Big Beaver? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
95.4%
44% above the median place
Median year built1
1962
1% below the median place
Median home value1
$186,100
42% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureBig BeaverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$97529% below
Rent to income116.3%20% below
Property tax rate11.5%60% above
Home price to income12.6x32% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure94.76% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,38914% below
HUD area median income4County figure$110,4003% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,71517% below
Median home value1$186,10042% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.4%37% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure39.2%24% below
Homeownership195.4%44% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure42.3%16% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,39426% below
Vacant homes1County figure8.9%26% above
Median year built119621% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
7.4%
52% above the median place
Poverty rate1
6.0%
44% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute30 min +18%
Median household income$71,678 −11%
Income per person$36,586 −9%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBig BeaverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$71,67811% below
Income per person1$36,5869% below
Unemployment17.4%52% above
Average annual pay6County figure$60,8658% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.5%5% below
Jobs6County figure48,54168% below
Poverty rate16.0%44% below
Mean commute130 min18% above
Works from home1County figure13.5%9% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 55.4, 42% above the median place.

Median age1
55.4
42% above the median place
Population change since 20207
-2.1%
below the median place (median 1.1%)
High school or higher1
95.6%
4% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad4.7% −47%
Homes with broadband89.4% −3%
Bachelor's or higher27.0% −16%
Household size2.5 −2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureBig BeaverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,8436646th largest
Population change since 20207-2.1%below (median 1.1%)
Median age155.442% above
Bachelor's or higher127.0%16% below
High school or higher195.6%4% above
Household size12.52% below
Born abroad14.7%47% below
No health insurance1County figure3.9%39% below
Homes with broadband189.4%3% below
05

Life in Big Beaver

22 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents10.8 +7%
Playgrounds per 10k21.7 2.3×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.1 −71%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.7 −15%
Shops28.5 −6%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.1 −24%
Doctors' offices and clinics16.5 −18%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students12
31,222
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools12
52
above the median place (median 9)
Restaurants and bars per 10k9
17.7
15% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureBig BeaverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure52above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure31,222above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure15.61% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure17.715% below
Shops per 10k9County figure28.56% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.124% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure16.518% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k1010.87% above
Playgrounds per 10k1021.7131% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k100.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.171% below
National Register listings11County figure2269% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 45.7, 49% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Big Beaver. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk14
45.7
49% below the median place
Natural hazard risk14
75.3
19% below the median place
Wildfire risk14
34.9
43% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBig BeaverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure83°F4% below
January average low13County figure21°F19% below
Average temperature13County figure51°F7% below
Annual precipitation13County figure41.1 in6% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure75.319% below
Hurricane risk14County figure54.123% below
Tornado risk14County figure56.531% below
Wildfire risk14County figure34.943% below
Heat wave risk14County figure45.749% below
Median air quality index15County figure467% above
Good air days15County figure55.6%19% below
08

Big Beaver in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, up from 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$975/mo (2024)$1,270/mo$1,040 to $1,550/mo+4.5%
Median household income$71,678 (2024)$90,000$76,000 to $106,500+3.9%
Median home value$186,100 (2024)$261,000$189,000 to $359,000+5.8%
Population1,822 (2025)1,8201,740 to 1,890−0.1%

The median home would be worth 2.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Big Beaver

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
White Oak, PA$1,000$59,452Compare
St. Francis, WI$1,004$57,368Compare
Swoyersville, PA$744$71,555Compare
Tucson Estates, AZ$1,248$66,582Compare
Tucson Estates, AZSwoyersville, PASt. Francis, WIWhite Oak, PABig Beaver, PABig BeaverWhite OakSt. FrancisSwoyersvilleTucson EstatesBig BeaverWhite OakSt. FrancisTucson Estates

Common questions

Is Big Beaver a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 95% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 271 Pennsylvania places. The median resident is 55.4 years old, older than in 96% of places its size. It is the highest of 271 Pennsylvania places. On cost, space and class size it scores 97 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Big Beaver expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $186,100.

What salary do you need to live in Big Beaver?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Big Beaver?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are White Oak, PA, St. Francis, WI, Swoyersville, PA and Tucson Estates, AZ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Big Beaver with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Big Beaver itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/big-beaver-pennsylvania

Citytistics. “Big Beaver, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/big-beaver-pennsylvania/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.