CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.95° N · 76.76° W · GEOID 4284288

West York

York County, Pennsylvania · part of the York, PA metro

PennsylvaniaWest York, PAWest YorkWest York

The short answer

West York is home to 5,092 people. Median household income is $80,995 a year and median rent is $971 a month, 14.4% 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 $123,600, about 1.5x annual median household income.

The story in West York is how fast things are changing. Housing became more affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 27.1% to 14.4% of income. Also notable: Household income growth is 14.7% a year, against 4.5% a year in its closest peers.

62OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

West York scores better than 62% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 141st of 271 in Pennsylvania.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%96
Economy 20%55
Safety 20%36
Amenities 15%25
Education 10%14
Commute 10%76
Growth 5%79
Median gross rent
$971
29% below the median place
Median household income
$80,995
1% above the median place
Median home value
$123,600
61% 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 West York

  • GrowthCompared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Lehighton, PA, Tamaqua, PA and Wilson, PA), home value growth here is lower: 3.7% a year against a typical 8.4% a year.
  • AffordabilityCompared with the 23 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Lehighton, PA, Tamaqua, PA and Wilson, PA), money left after rent here is higher: $69,800 against a typical $48,700.
01

Moving to West York

York County gains about 6.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in16,992
Moved out14,559
Net+2,433

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$63K
Leavers$62K

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

Who moves here
4.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into York County report $62,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $61,600.
Income you would need
$38,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $971 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,239 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $123,600.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 10.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Fort Stockton, TX matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people8
6.1
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
4.2%
28% below the median place
Income of households moving out8
$61,585
12% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWest YorkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.2%28% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.9%5% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure6.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$62,93411% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$61,58512% below
02

What it costs to live here

Home values are about 36% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location.

West York14.4%
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
$38,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.4%
29% below the median place
Home price to income
1.5x
60% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
14%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$69,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in West York, $971 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.3 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to West York? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1938
2% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
31.1%
39% below the median place
Property tax rate1
2.3%
154% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureWest YorkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$97129% below
Rent to income114.4%29% below
Property tax rate12.3%154% above
Home price to income11.5x60% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure96.05% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,32718% below
HUD area median income4County figure$105,9001% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,86012% below
Median home value1$123,60061% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.7%78% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.2%5% above
Homeownership154.4%18% below
Renters paying 30%+131.1%39% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,23934% below
Vacant homes1County figure4.4%38% below
Median year built119382% below
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $30,365, 24% below the median place.

Income per person1
$30,365
24% below the median place
Mean commute1
21 min
16% below the median place
Works from home1
10.7%
14% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWest YorkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$80,9951% above
Income per person1$30,36524% below
Unemployment1County figure4.5%8% below
Average annual pay6County figure$65,0711% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.2%14% above
Jobs6County figure182,80621% above
Poverty rate112.0%12% above
Mean commute121 min16% below
Works from home110.7%14% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.6%25% below
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 78.8%, 15% below the median place.

High school or higher1
78.8%
15% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
17.1%
47% below the median place
Median age1
34.1
13% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.7 +8%
Homes with broadband90.2% −2%
No health insurance6.2% −3%
All 9 people measures
MeasureWest YorkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,0926570th largest
Population change since 20207-0.1%below (median 1.1%)
Median age134.113% below
Bachelor's or higher117.1%47% below
High school or higher178.8%15% below
Household size12.78% above
Born abroad1County figure4.2%53% below
No health insurance16.2%3% below
Homes with broadband190.2%2% below
05

Life in West York

The nearest National Park Service site is Gettysburg National Military Park, about 27 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1904. 3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill listed 1991
  • Shelly, William, School and Annex listed 2001
  • West Side Sanitarium listed 2004

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents11.8 +16%
Playgrounds per 10k7.9 −16%
Grocery stores per 10k2.0 −8%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9.8 −12%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
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

  • Gettysburg National Military Park 27 miles
  • Eisenhower National Historic Site 29 miles
  • Hampton National Historic Site 38 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars15.6 −25%
Shops25.6 −16%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.3 −20%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.2 −35%
Child care centers2.1 −9%

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

Nearest National Park Service site11
26.8
13% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k9
15.6
25% below the median place
Public schools14
109
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWest YorkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14County figure109above (median 9)
Public school students14County figure64,004above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher14County figure14.28% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure15.625% below
Shops per 10k9County figure25.616% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.320% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure13.235% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.19% below
Parks per 10k1011.816% above
Playgrounds per 10k107.916% below
Grocery stores per 10k102.08% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k109.812% below
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1126.813% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles118300% above
National Register listings12377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 390, 103% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
390
103% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,227
1% above 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.

Tornado risk16
47.6
42% below the median place
Hurricane risk16
92.4
31% above the median place
Wildfire risk16
41.0
33% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureWest YorkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure85°F2% below
January average low15County figure22°F13% below
Average temperature15County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation15County figure45.2 in3% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure90.42% below
Hurricane risk16County figure92.431% above
Tornado risk16County figure47.642% below
Wildfire risk16County figure41.033% below
Heat wave risk16County figure91.82% above
Median air quality index17County figure455% above
Good air days17County figure59.5%13% below
08

West York in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 14% of the median income in 2030, down from 14% 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, West York does better than 96% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 6%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$971/mo (2024)$1,220/mo$1,000 to $1,490/mo+3.9%
Median household income$80,995 (2024)$107,000$90,000 to $126,500+4.7%
Median home value$123,600 (2024)$170,000$124,000 to $235,000+5.5%
Population5,110 (2025)5,1504,940 to 5,370+0.1%

The median home would be worth 1.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.5 now.

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

09

Places like West York

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

PlaceRentIncome
Fort Stockton, TX$974$84,784Compare
Red Lion, PA$884$72,901Compare
Lone Grove, OK$875$74,265Compare
Crete, NE$936$77,209Compare
Crete, NELone Grove, OKRed Lion, PAFort Stockton, TXWest York, PAWest YorkFort StocktonRed LionLone GroveCreteWest YorkFort StocktonRed LionLone GroveCrete

Places built like West York

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 West York performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
West York, PA14.4%14.7%/yr-0.1%
Lehighton, PA18.9%8.9%/yr-0.2%Compare
Tamaqua, PA25.9%3.5%/yr0.2%Compare
Wilson, PA19.8%4.4%/yr-1.2%Compare
Red Lion, PA14.6%4.7%/yr0.1%Compare
Prospect Park, PA22.5%0.8%/yr-0.3%Compare
Gloucester City, NJ27.4%1.8%/yr1.4%Compare

Common questions

Is West York a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 62 out of 100, better than 62% of the places we rate and 141st of 271 in Pennsylvania. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Lehighton, PA, Tamaqua, PA and Wilson, PA), home value growth here is lower: 3.7% a year against a typical 8.4% a year. Compared with the 23 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Lehighton, PA, Tamaqua, PA and Wilson, PA), money left after rent here is higher: $69,800 against a typical $48,700. On cost, space and class size it scores 81 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is West York expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.4% 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 $123,600.

What salary do you need to live in West York?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $38,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is West York safe?

There were 390 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to West York?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Fort Stockton, TX, Red Lion, PA, Lone Grove, OK and Crete, NE.

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

Citytistics. “West York, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/west-york-pennsylvania/

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