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Cost of living, pay and housing

40.28° N · 76.85° W · GEOID 4258712

Penbrook

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania · part of the Harrisburg, PA metro

Limited data population under 5,000

PennsylvaniaPenbrook, PAPenbrookPenbrook

The short answer

Penbrook is home to 3,266 people. Median household income is $62,312 a year and median rent is $987 a month, 19.0% 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 $168,100, about 2.7x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$987
28% below the median place
Median household income
$62,312
22% below the median place
Median home value
$168,100
47% below the median place
Unemployment
4.5%
8% 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.

What stands out about Penbrook

  • Half the homes were built before 1952, older housing than in 92% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • The median resident is 34.1 years old, younger than in 83% of places its size.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 130 hours a year commuting, less than in 81% of places its size.
01

Moving to Penbrook

Dauphin County loses about 2.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in13,110
Moved out13,732
Net−622

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Cumberland County, PA1,9103,109−1,199
York County, PA8071,137−330
Perry County, PA279355−76

Within Pennsylvania, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within PennsylvaniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$56K
Leavers$63K

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

Who moves here
6.5% 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 Dauphin County report $56,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $63,300, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$39,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $987 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,624 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $168,100.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 14.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Peoria, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in8
$56,063
21% below the median place
Income of households moving out8
$63,305
10% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePenbrookAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.5%14% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-2.6333% below
Income of households moving in8County figure$56,06321% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$63,30510% below
02

What it costs to live here

Median year built is 1952, 1% below the median place.

Penbrook19.0%
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
$39,480
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.0%
7% below the median place
Home price to income
2.7x
29% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$50,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Penbrook, $987 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Penbrook, 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
Huntingdon, PA15.0% vs 19.0%n/aCompare
Valley Center, KS13.8% vs 19.0%$20,100Compare
Colby, KS14.2% vs 19.0%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Penbrook? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1952
1% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.7%
89% above the median place
Median home value1
$168,100
47% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasurePenbrookAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$98728% below
Rent to income119.0%7% below
Property tax rate11.7%89% above
Home price to income12.7x29% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure98.72% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,5981% below
HUD area median income4County figure$109,3002% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,89011% below
Median home value1$168,10047% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.2%64% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure53.9%5% above
Homeownership156.8%14% below
Renters paying 30%+147.7%6% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,62413% below
Vacant homes1County figure5.1%28% below
Median year built119521% 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%)
Mean commute1
20 min
21% below the median place
Income per person1
$30,808
23% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$62,312 −22%
Poverty rate7.4% −31%
Works from home14.7% +18%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePenbrookAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$62,31222% below
Income per person1$30,80823% below
Unemployment1County figure4.5%8% below
Average annual pay6County figure$69,5705% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.3%38% below
Jobs6County figure190,39426% above
Poverty rate17.4%31% below
Mean commute120 min21% below
Works from home114.7%18% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 13.9%, 117% above the median place.

No health insurance1
13.9%
117% above the median place
Median age1
34.1
13% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
96.2%
4% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.4 −5%
Bachelor's or higher38.3% +19%
High school or higher92.7% +0%
All 9 people measures
MeasurePenbrookAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population13,2666646th largest
Population change since 20207-0.6%below (median 1.1%)
Median age134.113% below
Bachelor's or higher138.3%19% above
High school or higher192.7%0% above
Household size12.45% below
Born abroad1County figure9.8%11% above
No health insurance113.9%117% above
Homes with broadband196.2%4% above
05

Life in Penbrook

80 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents9.2 −10%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
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 −95%
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.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.2 +2%
Shops30.5 +1%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.7 +15%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.9 −1%
Child care centers3.6 +57%

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

Child care centers per 10k9
3.6
57% above the median place
Public school students13
72,394
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools13
72
above the median place (median 9)
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasurePenbrookAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure72above (median 9)
Public school students13County figure72,394above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher13County figure14.56% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.22% above
Shops per 10k9County figure30.51% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.715% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure19.91% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.657% above
Parks per 10k109.210% below
Playgrounds per 10k100.0below (median 9.4)
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 trails100.195% below
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure80above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 307, 60% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
307
60% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
858
29% 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.

Wildfire risk15
38.9
37% below the median place
Hurricane risk15
89.2
26% above the median place
January average low14
21°F
15% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePenbrookAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure84°F3% below
January average low14County figure21°F15% below
Average temperature14County figure52°F6% below
Annual precipitation14County figure46.0 in5% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure91.12% below
Hurricane risk15County figure89.226% above
Tornado risk15County figure79.82% below
Wildfire risk15County figure38.937% below
Heat wave risk15County figure88.42% below
Median air quality index16County figure442% above
Good air days16County figure62.5%9% below
08

Penbrook in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% 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$987/mo (2024)$1,270/mo$1,040 to $1,550/mo+4.3%
Median household income$62,312 (2024)$80,000$67,500 to $94,500+4.3%
Median home value$168,100 (2024)$240,000$175,000 to $331,000+6.1%
Population3,243 (2025)3,2603,120 to 3,400+0.1%

The median home would be worth 3.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.7 now.

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

09

Places like Penbrook

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

PlaceRentIncome
Peoria, IL$1,005$59,410Compare
Warsaw, IN$1,066$61,035Compare
Cape Girardeau, MO$876$55,658Compare
Las Cruces, NM$974$55,422Compare
Las Cruces, NMCape Girardeau, MOWarsaw, INPeoria, ILPenbrook, PAPenbrookPeoriaWarsawCape GirardeauLas CrucesPenbrookPeoriaWarsawCape GirardeauLas Cruces

Common questions

Is Penbrook a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Half the homes were built before 1952, older housing than in 92% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. The median resident is 34.1 years old, younger than in 83% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 64 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Penbrook expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.0% 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 $168,100.

What salary do you need to live in Penbrook?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,480 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Penbrook safe?

There were 307 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Penbrook?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Peoria, IL, Warsaw, IN, Cape Girardeau, MO and Las Cruces, NM.

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. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 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
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. 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 Penbrook with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Penbrook itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/penbrook-pennsylvania

Citytistics. “Penbrook, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/penbrook-pennsylvania/

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