Altoona vs State College
Altoona, Pennsylvania versus State College, Pennsylvania: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Altoona and State College score about the same overall (56 vs 54 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Altoona | State College |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $43k |
| Cost of Living | $40k | $55k |
| Home Value | $111k | $383k |
| Monthly Rent | $795 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.23% | 1.15% |
| Income Tax | 4.70% | 4.95% |
| Sales Tax | 6.34% | 6.34% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.49% | 17.18% |
| Unemployment | 6.0% | 3.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 27°F | 27°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 71°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.7 in | 41.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.1 in | 43.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 254 days | 200 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 88 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 15.0 | 5.4 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 50 AQI |
| School Quality | 60.1 | 94.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1125/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 778/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 43,821 | 40,902 |
| Median Age | 39.7 | 21.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.17 | 0.30 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 1.19 |
| Political Leaning | R+44 | Even |
| White (%) | 89.9% | 80.3% |
| Black (%) | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 1.9% | 4.0% |
| Asian (%) | 0.5% | 10.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 2.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 16 min |
| Walkability | 10.8/20 | 16.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 96 mi | 127 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 81.8% | 85.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 20.31 | 80.93 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Altoona or State College more affordable?
- Altoona has the lower cost of living: its index is $40k, compared with Altoona's $40k and State College's $55k. Median rent is $795 in Altoona versus $1k in State College.
- Is Altoona or State College safer?
- State College has the lower violent crime rate. Altoona reports 1125/100k and State College reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Altoona or State College?
- The median home value is $111k in Altoona and $383k in State College, so homes are more affordable in Altoona.