CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.58° N · 79.72° W · GEOID 4244864

Lower Burrell

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

PennsylvaniaLower Burrell, PALower BurrellLower Burrell

The short answer

Lower Burrell is home to 11,633 people. Median household income is $84,602 a year and median rent is $911 a month, 12.9% 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 $198,600, about 2.4x annual median household income.

Lower Burrell stands out on value for money. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 88 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. Also notable: The median rent takes 12.9% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 96% of places its size.

90OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Exceptional

Lower Burrell scores better than 90% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 26th of 271 in Pennsylvania.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%95
Economy 20%69
Safety 20%98
Amenities 15%25
Education 10%52
Commute 10%41
Growth 5%30
Median gross rent
$911
33% below the median place
Median household income
$84,602
5% above the median place
Median home value
$198,600
38% below the median place
Unemployment
3.3%
32% below 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.

01

Moving to Lower Burrell

Westmoreland County gains about 2.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in10,451
Moved out9,592
Net+859

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Allegheny County, PA3,7622,776+986
Armstrong County, PA423440−17

Within Pennsylvania, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within PennsylvaniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$68K
Leavers$64K

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

Who moves here
4.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Westmoreland County report $67,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $64,400.
Income you would need
$36,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $911 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,433 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $198,600.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 12.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Chesterland, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.0%
31% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.0%
49% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
2.8
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLower BurrellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.0%31% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.0%49% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure2.8above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$67,6294% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$64,4228% below
02

What it costs to live here

The median home costs 2.4 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Lower Burrell12.9%
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
$36,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
12.9%
37% below the median place
Home price to income
2.4x
38% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
13%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$74,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lower Burrell, $911 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 Lower Burrell, but easier on the budget

Places that match Lower Burrell on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Chesterland, OH869.3% vs 12.9%$26,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lower Burrell.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lower Burrell? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
37.8%
25% below the median place
Homeownership1
84.5%
27% above the median place
Property tax rate1
1.7%
88% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureLower BurrellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$91133% below
Rent to income112.9%37% below
Property tax rate11.7%88% above
Home price to income12.4x38% 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$3,3954% above
Median home value1$198,60038% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.8%82% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.0%17% below
Homeownership184.5%27% above
Renters paying 30%+137.8%25% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,43323% below
Vacant homes1County figure8.2%16% above
Median year built119621% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 3.3%, 32% below the median place.

Unemployment1
3.3%
32% below the median place
Poverty rate1
7.8%
28% below the median place
Income per person1
$46,074
15% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute26 min +6%
Median household income$84,602 +5%
Works from home12.0% −3%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLower BurrellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$84,6025% above
Income per person1$46,07415% above
Unemployment13.3%32% below
Average annual pay6County figure$58,65111% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.8%3% above
Jobs6County figure128,97214% below
Poverty rate17.8%28% below
Mean commute126 min6% above
Works from home112.0%3% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.5%38% below
04

Who lives here

Median age is 46.8, 20% above the median place.

Median age1
46.8
20% above the median place
Population change since 20207
-2.5%
below the median place (median 1.1%)
Household size1
2.2
12% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher96.5% +4%
Homes with broadband87.5% −5%
No health insurance4.2% −34%
Bachelor's or higher33.1% +3%
All 9 people measures
MeasureLower BurrellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,6333662nd largest
Population change since 20207-2.5%below (median 1.1%)
Median age146.820% above
Bachelor's or higher133.1%3% above
High school or higher196.5%4% above
Household size12.212% below
Born abroad1County figure1.9%78% below
No health insurance14.2%34% below
Homes with broadband187.5%5% below
05

Life in Lower Burrell

About 0 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, fewer than in 84% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 271 Pennsylvania places we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1852. 52 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.3 −58%
Playgrounds per 10k5.2 −45%
Grocery stores per 10k1.7 −19%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9.5 −15%
Libraries per 10k0.9 −1%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Johnstown Flood National Memorial 52 miles
  • Fort Necessity National Battlefield 54 miles
  • Flight 93 National Memorial 56 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.4 −2%
Shops32.1 +6%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.5 +10%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.0 +4%
Child care centers2.6 +13%

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

Public schools14
4
56% below the median place
Public school students14
1,671
66% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
51.8
68% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureLower BurrellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14456% below
Public school students141,67166% below
Students per teacher1414.09% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure20.42% below
Shops per 10k9County figure32.16% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.510% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure21.04% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.613% above
Parks per 10k104.358% below
Playgrounds per 10k105.245% below
Grocery stores per 10k101.719% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k109.515% below
Libraries per 10k100.91% below
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1151.868% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles115150% above
National Register listings12County figure52300% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

The city police department reported 17 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, fewer than in 97% of the 1,457 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Violent crime per 100k
17
91% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
122
90% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Heat wave risk16
59.9
33% below the median place
July average high15
83°F
5% below the median place
Median air quality index17
39
9% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureLower BurrellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure83°F5% below
January average low15County figure20°F20% below
Average temperature15County figure51°F8% below
Annual precipitation15County figure45.7 in4% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure87.85% below
Hurricane risk16County figure69.02% below
Tornado risk16County figure55.732% below
Wildfire risk16County figure54.012% below
Heat wave risk16County figure59.933% below
Median air quality index17County figure399% below
Good air days17County figure78.2%14% above
08

Lower Burrell in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 13% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 13% 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. On projected 2030 affordability, Lower Burrell does better than 94% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 25%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$911/mo (2024)$1,160/mo$950 to $1,420/mo+4.1%
Median household income$84,602 (2024)$108,000$91,000 to $127,500+4.1%
Median home value$198,600 (2024)$280,000$203,000 to $386,000+5.9%
Population11,470 (2025)11,41010,950 to 11,900−0.1%

The median home would be worth 2.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.3 now.

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

09

Places like Lower Burrell

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

PlaceRentIncome
Shields, MI$941$82,125Compare
Homeacre-Lyndora, PA$928$74,217Compare
Tallmadge, OH$1,067$89,410Compare
Archbald, PA$966$71,936Compare
Archbald, PATallmadge, OHHomeacre-Lyndora, PAShields, MILower Burrell, PALower BurrellShieldsTallmadgeArchbaldLower BurrellShieldsTallmadgeArchbald

Places built like Lower Burrell

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Lower Burrell performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Lower Burrell, PA12.9%5.5%/yr-2.5%
Yardville, NJ19.3%-0.7%/yrn/aCompare
New Windsor, NY24.6%2.7%/yrn/aCompare
Archbald, PA16.1%6.2%/yr3.1%Compare
Laurence Harbor, NJ27.1%-0.4%/yrn/aCompare
Villas, NJ25.5%7.9%/yrn/aCompare
Wanaque, NJ18.9%3.6%/yr0.9%Compare

Common questions

Is Lower Burrell a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 90 out of 100, better than 90% of the places we rate and 26th of 271 in Pennsylvania. On cost, space and class size it scores 89 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lower Burrell expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 12.9% 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 $198,600.

What salary do you need to live in Lower Burrell?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $36,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Lower Burrell safe?

There were 17 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Lower Burrell?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Shields, MI, Homeacre-Lyndora, PA, Tallmadge, OH and Archbald, PA.

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 Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 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
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. 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 Lower Burrell with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lower Burrell itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lower-burrell-pennsylvania

Citytistics. “Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lower-burrell-pennsylvania/

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