Moving to Pennsylvania
New residents have 60 days to get a Pennsylvania driver license and must register a car within 20 days. Prices are 2.4% below the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $3,070 in Pennsylvania income tax. 123,625 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from New York and New Jersey.
New resident checklist for Pennsylvania
Driver license
Within 60 days; vision screening required, knowledge and road tests generally waived with a valid out-of-state license. A PA license/ID is needed to title the car, so get it first. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Pennsylvania address.
Vehicle title and registration
Apply for PA title and registration within 20 days; VIN verification by a certified inspection mechanic or notary; pass PA safety inspection within 10 days of registering; emissions testing in certain counties. Switch your auto insurance to a Pennsylvania policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No PA sales tax if you owned the vehicle for 6 months or more before moving; otherwise PA tax is due unless you prove tax was paid in another state.
Annual registration: Flat $48/year for passenger vehicles; some counties add a $5/year local fee. Title fee $72.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $250.
Establishing residency
Residency starts when you move to PA intending to live there (for example, taking a job or signing a lease); the 20-day and 60-day clocks run from that date. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Pennsylvania
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Pennsylvania income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,128 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: pa.gov. Sources: pa.gov (2), pa.gov (3), pa.gov (4). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Pennsylvania motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Pennsylvania
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Pennsylvania.
Equal salary in PA: $73,400
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $73,400 in Pennsylvania to match $85,000 in New York ($11,600 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $85,000 | New York | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $9,870 | $9,870 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,503 | $6,503 |
| State income tax | $3,993 | $2,610 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $367 | $60 |
| Take-home pay | $64,267 | $65,959 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Pennsylvania: New York to Pennsylvania, New Jersey to Pennsylvania, Florida to Pennsylvania, Maryland to Pennsylvania, Virginia to Pennsylvania and California to Pennsylvania.
Living in Pennsylvania: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Pennsylvania is in the best 10 for homeowners insurance, and not in the worst 10 on any.
- Median rent
- $1,252/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $1,832/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $76,040 $962 more than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 1.16% median $3,214/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 87.4 of 100 Among the highest of U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 123,625 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Pennsylvania
How Pennsylvania ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Pennsylvania ranks best
- Top 10 Lowest homeowners insurance: $1,128 a year at the median for homes with a mortgage (Census ACS 2024), tied with 1 other state for 8th lowest.
Where Pennsylvania ranks worst
Pennsylvania is not in the worst 10 on any of these measures. Its weakest is property tax rate, 14th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Pennsylvania residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 123,625 households filed their taxes in Pennsylvania after filing in another state the year before. New York sent the most, 20,643 households (17% of the total). Pennsylvania lost a net 12,095 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Pennsylvania from other states reached a five-year high in 2022–23: 123,625 households, up 15% from 2018–19. Pennsylvania lost households to other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −9,546, 2019–20 −3,344, 2020–21 −8,869, 2021–22 −14,630, 2022–23 −12,095.
Cost of living in Pennsylvania vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Pennsylvania are 2.4% below the U.S. average, 28th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in housing (85.1), 15% below the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $145/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,155/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $572/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Pennsylvania: take-home pay at three incomes
Pennsylvania taxes wages. Workers also pay about $70 a year in state payroll programs at $100,000, which the take-home figures include. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | PA income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,535 | $40,785 | +$7 |
| $100,000 | $3,070 | $76,040 | +$962 |
| $150,000 | $4,605 | $109,081 | +$1,495 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Pennsylvania income and payroll taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The statewide sales tax rate is 6% before any local sales taxes. Homeowners pay a median $3,214 a year in property tax, 1.16% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Pennsylvania taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Pennsylvania: where a paycheck goes furthest
Of the 4 Pennsylvania metro areas we cover, Pittsburgh is the best value: about $77,100 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax. Philadelphia takes the most, $85,600.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $77,100 | 94.7 | $1,083 | $230,300 |
| Harrisburg | $79,700 | 98.7 | $1,254 | $282,600 |
| Allentown | $80,900 | 100.0 | $1,458 | $332,700 |
| Philadelphia | $85,600 | 102.6 | $1,567 | $375,100 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Housing and home insurance in Pennsylvania
| Measure | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,252 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $277,600 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,832 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $78,509 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $3,214 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,128 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Pennsylvania for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 87.4 of 100, among the highest of U.S. counties and 36th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $313 per resident a year, and about 38% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Pennsylvania county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Pennsylvania come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 123,625 households moved to Pennsylvania from other states. The most came from New York (20,643 households), New Jersey (18,767) and Florida (11,056).
What are the pros and cons of living in Pennsylvania?
Where Pennsylvania ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest homeowners insurance, tied with 1 other state for 8th lowest. It is not in the worst 10 on any of them; its weakest is property tax rate, 14th highest of 51.
Is Pennsylvania expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Pennsylvania are 2.4% below the U.S. average (BEA price level 97.6, 2024), 28th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,252 a month and the median home is worth $277,600.
How long do I have to get a Pennsylvania driver license after moving?
60 days after becoming a resident. Within 60 days; vision screening required, knowledge and road tests generally waived with a valid out-of-state license. A PA license/ID is needed to title the car, so get it first.
How long do I have to register my car in Pennsylvania?
20 days. Apply for PA title and registration within 20 days; VIN verification by a certified inspection mechanic or notary; pass PA safety inspection within 10 days of registering; emissions testing in certain counties.
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Pennsylvania?
No PA sales tax if you owned the vehicle for 6 months or more before moving; otherwise PA tax is due unless you prove tax was paid in another state.
What makes me a Pennsylvania resident?
Residency starts when you move to PA intending to live there (for example, taking a job or signing a lease); the 20-day and 60-day clocks run from that date.