CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.68° N · 75.24° W · GEOID 4285592

Wilson

Northampton County, Pennsylvania · part of the Allentown, PA metro

PennsylvaniaWilson, PAWilsonWilson

The short answer

Wilson is home to 8,183 people. Median household income is $82,902 a year and median rent is $1,370 a month, 19.8% 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 $210,700, about 2.5x annual median household income.

Wilson's housing market sets it apart. Half the homes were built before 1938, older housing than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 271 Pennsylvania places we track. Also notable: Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 18.2% to 19.8% of income.

57OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Wilson scores better than 57% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 154th of 271 in Pennsylvania.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%72
Economy 20%61
Safety 20%51
Amenities 15%43
Education 10%30
Commute 10%50
Growth 5%23
Median gross rent
$1,370
0% above the median place
Median household income
$82,902
3% above the median place
Median home value
$210,700
34% below the median place
Unemployment
4.1%
16% 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 Wilson

  • Life nearbyOpenStreetMap shows 4.9 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 75% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Wilson

Northampton County gains about 4.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in14,099
Moved out13,056
Net+1,043

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$69K
Leavers$73K

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

Who moves here
3.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Northampton County report $69,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $73,000, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$54,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,370 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,549 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $210,700.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 10.7% work from home; 1.0% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
West York, PA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.0%
47% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
4.0
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
2.4%
23% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWilsonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.0%47% below
Moved from another state1County figure2.4%23% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure4.0above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$69,1092% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$72,9624% above
02

What it costs to live here

Owning with a mortgage costs only about $179 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 85% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.

Wilson19.8%
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
$54,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.8%
3% below the median place
Home price to income
2.5x
33% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$67,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Wilson, $1,370 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Wilson, but easier on the budget

Places that match Wilson 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
West York, PA9714.4% vs 19.8%$2,600Compare
Monmouth, IL8414.4% vs 19.8%n/aCompare
Sturgis, MI8315.8% vs 19.8%n/aCompare
Stratford, NJ8314.5% vs 19.8%$16,600Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Wilson? 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
Property tax rate1
1.5%
63% above the median place
Median home value1
$210,700
34% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureWilsonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,3700% above
Rent to income119.8%3% below
Property tax rate11.5%63% above
Home price to income12.5x33% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure100.01% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,83914% above
HUD area median income4County figure$104,4003% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,1244% below
Median home value1$210,70034% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.2%93% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure58.8%14% above
Homeownership159.4%11% below
Renters paying 30%+146.5%8% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,54917% below
Vacant homes19.0%28% above
Median year built119382% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 4.1%, 16% below the median place.

Unemployment1
4.1%
16% below the median place
Works from home1
10.7%
14% below the median place
Income per person1
$37,338
7% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$82,902 +3%
Poverty rate10.5% −2%
Mean commute25 min +0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWilsonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$82,9023% above
Income per person1$37,3387% below
Unemployment14.1%16% below
Average annual pay6County figure$62,9765% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.4%19% above
Jobs6County figure122,79518% below
Poverty rate110.5%2% below
Mean commute125 min0% above
Works from home110.7%14% below
Commutes by transit1County figure1.0%20% above
04

Who lives here

Households average 2.80 people, larger than than in 79% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Homes with broadband1
87.5%
5% below the median place
No health insurance1
3.9%
39% below the median place
Median age1
35.4
9% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.8 +12%
High school or higher87.6% −5%
Bachelor's or higher23.4% −27%
Born abroad9.5% +8%
All 9 people measures
MeasureWilsonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,1834863rd largest
Population change since 20207-1.2%below (median 1.1%)
Median age135.49% below
Bachelor's or higher123.4%27% below
High school or higher187.6%5% below
Household size12.812% above
Born abroad19.5%8% above
No health insurance13.9%39% below
Homes with broadband187.5%5% below
05

Life in Wilson

13 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 87% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1914. 1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Dixie Cup Company Complex listed 2026

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.9 −52%
Playgrounds per 10k7.3 −22%
Grocery stores per 10k2.4 +15%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k6.1 −45%
Libraries per 10k2.4 2.8×
Named paths and bike trails2 km +5%
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

  • Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River 16 miles
  • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area 37 miles
  • Morristown National Historical Park 41 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.2 +7%
Shops26.0 −14%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.8 −7%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.0 −26%
Child care centers2.9 +26%

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

Nearest National Park Service site11
15.6
49% below the median place
Public school students14
38,316
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools14
60
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWilsonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14County figure60above (median 9)
Public school students14County figure38,316above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher14County figure13.413% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure22.27% above
Shops per 10k9County figure26.014% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.87% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure15.026% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.926% above
Parks per 10k104.952% below
Playgrounds per 10k107.322% below
Grocery stores per 10k102.415% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k106.145% below
Libraries per 10k102.4180% above
Named paths and bike trails102.15% above
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1115.649% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1113above (median 2)
National Register listings12192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 196, 2% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
196
2% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,166
4% 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 risk16
28.6
53% below the median place
Median air quality index17
38
12% below the median place
Annual precipitation15
49.2 in
12% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureWilsonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure85°F2% below
January average low15County figure19°F24% below
Average temperature15County figure51°F7% below
Annual precipitation15County figure49.2 in12% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure90.03% below
Hurricane risk16County figure87.123% above
Tornado risk16County figure80.91% below
Wildfire risk16County figure28.653% below
Heat wave risk16County figure94.14% above
Median air quality index17County figure3812% below
Good air days17County figure72.1%5% above
08

Wilson in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% 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, Wilson does better than 70% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 63%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,370/mo (2024)$1,760/mo$1,440 to $2,140/mo+4.2%
Median household income$82,902 (2024)$104,500$88,500 to $124,000+4.0%
Median home value$210,700 (2024)$305,000$221,000 to $420,000+6.3%
Population8,159 (2025)8,1707,840 to 8,520+0.0%

The median home would be worth 2.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.5 now.

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

09

Places like Wilson

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

PlaceRentIncome
Barbecue, NC$1,383$79,426Compare
Edgewood, MD$1,375$80,772Compare
Glenpool, OK$1,370$79,525Compare
Nederland, TX$1,400$77,570Compare
Nederland, TXGlenpool, OKEdgewood, MDBarbecue, NCWilson, PAWilsonBarbecueEdgewoodGlenpoolNederlandWilsonBarbecueEdgewoodGlenpoolNederland

Places built like Wilson

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 Wilson performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Wilson, PA19.8%4.4%/yr-1.2%
Gloucester City, NJ27.4%1.8%/yr1.4%Compare
West York, PA14.4%14.7%/yr-0.1%Compare
Bristol, PA22.2%5.2%/yr1.1%Compare
Prospect Park, PA22.5%0.8%/yr-0.3%Compare
Lehighton, PA18.9%8.9%/yr-0.2%Compare
Red Lion, PA14.6%4.7%/yr0.1%Compare

Common questions

Is Wilson a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 57 out of 100, better than 57% of the places we rate and 154th of 271 in Pennsylvania. OpenStreetMap shows 4.9 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 75% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 74 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Wilson expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.8% 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 $210,700.

What salary do you need to live in Wilson?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $54,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Wilson safe?

There were 196 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Wilson?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Barbecue, NC, Edgewood, MD, Glenpool, OK and Nederland, TX.

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

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

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