CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.34° N · 75.88° W · GEOID 4259176

Pennside

Berks County, Pennsylvania · part of the Reading, PA metro

PennsylvaniaPennside, PAPennsidePennside

The short answer

Pennside is home to 5,407 people. Median household income is $77,192 a year and median rent is $1,203 a month, 18.7% 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 $207,600, about 2.7x annual median household income.

Pennside's housing market sets it apart. Homeowners pay a median of about 2.1% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 91% of places its size. Also notable: Unemployment averaged 2.2% over the survey period, lower than in 96% of places its size.

69OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Pennside scores better than 69% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 116th of 271 in Pennsylvania.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%75
Economy 20%72
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%43
Education 10%36
Commute 10%35
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
$1,203
12% below the median place
Median household income
$77,192
4% below the median place
Median home value
$207,600
35% below the median place
Unemployment
2.2%
55% 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 Pennside

  • HousingHalf the homes were built before 1956, older housing than in 88% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Pennside

Berks County gains about 0.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in13,309
Moved out13,259
Net+50

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$57K
Leavers$62K

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

Who moves here
4.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Berks County report $57,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $61,900, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$48,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,203 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,653 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $207,600.
Getting to work
28 minutes each way on average; 8.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Robinson, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving in7
$57,349
19% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$61,944
12% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.7%
19% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePennsideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.7%19% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.5%23% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure0.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$57,34919% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$61,94412% below
02

What it costs to live here

32% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 91% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.

Pennside18.7%
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
$48,120
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.7%
8% 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
$62,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Pennside, $1,203 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Pennside, but easier on the budget

Places that match Pennside 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
Robinson, IL9614.7% vs 18.7%n/aCompare
Colona, IL9612.6% vs 18.7%$11,500Compare
Glenwood, IA9415.4% vs 18.7%$2,100Compare
Napoleon, OH9412.8% vs 18.7%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Pennside? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
31.7%
37% below the median place
Property tax rate1
2.1%
126% above the median place
Median year built1
1956
1% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasurePennsideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,20312% below
Rent to income118.7%8% below
Property tax rate12.1%126% above
Home price to income12.7x29% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure97.14% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,41812% below
HUD area median income4County figure$102,1005% below
Property tax paid (median)1$4,26931% above
Median home value1$207,60035% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.6%74% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure59.2%15% above
Homeownership177.9%17% above
Renters paying 30%+131.7%37% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,65312% below
Vacant homes1County figure4.9%31% below
Median year built119561% below
03

Work and pay

Compared with the 16 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Olyphant, PA, Mattydale, NY and Fairless Hills, PA), unemployment here is lower: 2.2% against a typical 5.8%.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
2.2%
55% below the median place
Poverty rate1
6.1%
44% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home8.6% −31%
Mean commute28 min +10%
Median household income$77,192 −4%
Income per person$39,127 −2%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePennsideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$77,1924% below
Income per person1$39,1272% below
Unemployment12.2%55% below
Average annual pay6County figure$65,9820% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure175,05416% above
Poverty rate16.1%44% below
Mean commute128 min10% above
Works from home18.6%31% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 95.9%, 4% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
95.9%
4% above the median place
High school or higher1
94.3%
2% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
25.6%
20% below the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasurePennsideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,4076345th largest
Median age139.10% above
Bachelor's or higher125.6%20% below
High school or higher194.3%2% above
Household size12.52% below
Born abroad1County figure9.7%10% above
No health insurance1County figure7.3%14% above
Homes with broadband195.9%4% above
05

Life in Pennside

8 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 82% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

145 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents11.1 +9%
Playgrounds per 10k18.5 +96%
Grocery stores per 10k1.9 −13%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k11.1 −0%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −90%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.0 9.4×

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

  • Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site 11 miles
  • Valley Forge National Historical Park 29 miles
  • Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River 44 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars16.8 −19%
Shops25.4 −16%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.3 −20%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.8 −32%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
11.0
64% below the median place
Public school students12
62,375
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools12
95
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasurePennsideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure95above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure62,375above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure13.810% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure16.819% below
Shops per 10k8County figure25.416% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.320% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure13.832% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k911.19% above
Playgrounds per 10k918.596% above
Grocery stores per 10k91.913% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k911.10% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.290% below
Transit stops per sq mi92.0above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1011.064% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles108300% above
National Register listings11County figure145above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 92.5, 31% above 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 Pennside. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
92.5
31% above the median place
Wildfire risk14
38.0
38% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
47.8 in
9% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePennsideAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure86°F1% below
January average low13County figure21°F17% below
Average temperature13County figure52°F5% below
Annual precipitation13County figure47.8 in9% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure92.70% above
Hurricane risk14County figure92.531% above
Tornado risk14County figure90.611% above
Wildfire risk14County figure38.038% below
Heat wave risk14County figure94.55% above
Median air quality index15County figure430% above
Good air days15County figure68.2%0% below
08

Pennside 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. On projected 2030 affordability, Pennside does better than 74% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 22%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,203/mo (2024)$1,550/mo$1,270 to $1,880/mo+4.3%
Median household income$77,192 (2024)$97,500$82,500 to $115,000+3.9%
Median home value$207,600 (2024)$292,000$212,000 to $402,000+5.9%

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 Pennside

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

PlaceRentIncome
Greenfield, IN$1,177$76,127Compare
Arnold, MO$1,112$78,370Compare
Bellmawr, NJ$1,257$76,654Compare
Huber Heights, OH$1,258$79,131Compare
Huber Heights, OHBellmawr, NJArnold, MOGreenfield, INPennside, PAPennsideGreenfieldArnoldBellmawrPennsideGreenfieldArnoldBellmawr

Places built like Pennside

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 Pennside performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Pennside, PA18.7%3.4%/yrn/a
Olyphant, PA17.4%7.6%/yr0.2%Compare
Mattydale, NY20.8%4.1%/yrn/aCompare
Fairless Hills, PA20.3%2.6%/yrn/aCompare
Birdsboro, PA15.9%5.9%/yr1.0%Compare
Norwood, PA17.6%4.2%/yr-0.2%Compare
Glenolden, PA19.9%4.3%/yr-0.2%Compare

Common questions

Is Pennside a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 69 out of 100, better than 69% of the places we rate and 116th of 271 in Pennsylvania. Half the homes were built before 1956, older housing than in 88% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 87 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Pennside expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.7% 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 $207,600.

What salary do you need to live in Pennside?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $48,120 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Pennside?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Greenfield, IN, Arnold, MO, Bellmawr, NJ and Huber Heights, OH.

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 Pennside with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Pennside itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/pennside-pennsylvania

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

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