CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.80° N · 77.91° W · GEOID 4258036

Park Forest Village

Centre County, Pennsylvania · part of the State College, PA metro

PennsylvaniaPark Forest Village, PAPark Forest VillagePark Forest Village

The short answer

Park Forest Village is home to 8,624 people. Median household income is $79,120 a year and median rent is $1,331 a month, 20.2% 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 $389,600, about 4.9x annual median household income.

Park Forest Village stands out on how people work. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 80 hours a year commuting, less than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 259 Pennsylvania places we track. Also notable: Money left after rent is $63,800, against $93,300 in its closest peers.

84OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Park Forest Village scores better than 84% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 53rd of 271 in Pennsylvania.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%39
Economy 20%57
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%60
Education 10%98
Commute 10%97
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,331
2% below the median place
Median household income
$79,120
1% below the median place
Median home value
$389,600
22% above the median place
Unemployment
4.3%
13% 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 Park Forest Village

Centre County loses about 8.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,749
Moved out5,671
Net−922

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$64K
Leavers$65K

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

Who moves here
12.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 5.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Centre County report $63,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $64,900.
Income you would need
$53,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,331 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,157 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $389,600.
Getting to work
14 minutes each way on average; 26.1% work from home; 6.0% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Rochester, MI matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
5.8%
192% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
12.2%
112% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-8.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePark Forest VillageAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year112.2%112% above
Moved from another state15.8%192% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-8.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$63,56910% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$64,8938% below
02

What it costs to live here

73% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 95% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.

Park Forest Village20.2%
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
$53,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.2%
1% below the median place
Home price to income
4.9x
29% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$63,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Park Forest Village, $1,331 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Park Forest Village, but easier on the budget

Places that match Park Forest Village 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
Rochester, MI9114.5% vs 20.2%$30,400Compare
Blue Ash, OH9116.2% vs 20.2%$35,900Compare
Creve Coeur, MO9015.3% vs 20.2%$45,700Compare
Okemos, MI8915.2% vs 20.2%$25,600Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Park Forest Village.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Park Forest Village? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
73.2%
45% above the median place
Vacant homes1
13.0%
85% above the median place
Homeownership1
55.6%
16% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasurePark Forest VillageAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,3312% below
Rent to income120.2%1% below
Property tax rate11.2%30% above
Home price to income14.9x29% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure96.84% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,5375% below
HUD area median income4County figure$118,30010% above
Property tax paid (median)1$4,59241% above
Median home value1$389,60022% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.8%12% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure37.1%28% below
Homeownership155.6%16% below
Renters paying 30%+173.2%45% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,15715% above
Vacant homes113.0%85% above
Median year built119820% above
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 31.7 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Mean commute1
14 min
43% below the median place
Commutes by transit1
6.0%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
26.1%
109% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate21.5% 2.0×
Income per person$48,041 +20%
Median household income$79,120 −1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePark Forest VillageAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$79,1201% below
Income per person1$48,04120% above
Unemployment1County figure4.3%13% below
Average annual pay6County figure$65,5531% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.3%16% above
Jobs6County figure69,34654% below
Poverty rate121.5%100% above
Mean commute114 min43% below
Works from home126.1%109% above
Commutes by transit16.0%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 99.0%, 7% above the median place.

High school or higher1
99.0%
7% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
77.4%
141% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
79.6%
14% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance2.9% −55%
Born abroad19.2% 2.2×
Household size2.3 −10%
Median age38.2 −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePark Forest VillageAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,6244654th largest
Median age138.22% below
Bachelor's or higher177.4%141% above
High school or higher199.0%7% above
Household size12.310% below
Born abroad119.2%117% above
No health insurance12.9%55% below
Homes with broadband179.6%14% below
05

Life in Park Forest Village

OpenStreetMap shows 8.1 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 94% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

64 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.8 +25%
Playgrounds per 10k25.5 2.7×
Grocery stores per 10k8.1 3.8×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k12.8 +14%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails1 km −55%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi31.7 151.0×

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

  • Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site 41 miles
  • Johnstown Flood National Memorial 55 miles
  • Flight 93 National Memorial 74 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.5 −6%
Shops25.6 −16%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.1 +24%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.3 −14%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
40.8
32% above the median place
Students per teacher12
12.0
22% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
25.6
16% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasurePark Forest VillageAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure33267% above
Public school students12County figure13,674179% above
Students per teacher12County figure12.022% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.56% below
Shops per 10k8County figure25.616% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.124% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure17.314% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k912.825% above
Playgrounds per 10k925.5171% above
Grocery stores per 10k98.1283% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k912.814% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.955% below
Transit stops per sq mi931.7above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1040.832% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure64392% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 48.0, 47% 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 Park Forest Village. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk14
48.0
47% below the median place
July average high13
81°F
6% below the median place
Natural hazard risk14
68.0
26% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePark Forest VillageAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure81°F6% below
January average low13County figure18°F28% below
Average temperature13County figure49°F11% below
Annual precipitation13County figure43.5 in1% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure68.026% below
Hurricane risk14County figure77.510% above
Tornado risk14County figure42.847% below
Wildfire risk14County figure32.547% below
Heat wave risk14County figure48.047% below
Median air quality index15County figure415% below
Good air days15County figure74.2%8% above
08

Park Forest Village in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% 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, Park Forest Village does better than 38% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 19%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,331/mo (2024)$1,710/mo$1,400 to $2,080/mo+4.2%
Median household income$79,120 (2024)$99,500$84,000 to $117,500+3.9%
Median home value$389,600 (2024)$547,000$397,000 to $753,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 5.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.9 now.

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

09

Places like Park Forest Village

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

PlaceRentIncome
Shorewood, WI$1,347$86,726Compare
Brentwood, MO$1,439$99,719Compare
Richmond Heights, MO$1,559$94,460Compare
Brighton, NY$1,350$85,467Compare
Brighton, NYRichmond Heights, MOBrentwood, MOShorewood, WIPark Forest Village, PAPark Forest VillageShorewoodBrentwoodRichmond HeightsBrightonPark Forest VillageShorewoodBrentwoodRichmond HeightsBrighton

Places built like Park Forest Village

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 Park Forest Village performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Park Forest Village, PA20.2%1.9%/yrn/a
Lionville, PA22.9%1.6%/yrn/aCompare
Plymouth Meeting, PA20.8%2.6%/yrn/aCompare
Audubon, PA20.4%4.4%/yrn/aCompare
Florham Park, NJ23.5%4.4%/yr15.1%Compare
Pine Brook, NJ22.4%-4.7%/yrn/aCompare
North Decatur, GA20.7%6.9%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Park Forest Village a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 84 out of 100, better than 84% of the places we rate and 53rd of 271 in Pennsylvania. On cost, space and class size it scores 8 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Park Forest Village expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.2% 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 $389,600.

What salary do you need to live in Park Forest Village?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $53,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Park Forest Village?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Shorewood, WI, Brentwood, MO, Richmond Heights, MO and Brighton, NY.

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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 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 Park Forest Village with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Park Forest Village itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/park-forest-village-pennsylvania

Citytistics. “Park Forest Village, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/park-forest-village-pennsylvania/

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