Erie vs Philadelphia
The short version
- Erie is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 11% lower than in the Philadelphia area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $115,200 in Erie and $243,100 in Philadelphia.
- Households earn more in Philadelphia ($61,953 vs $46,113 median).
- Philadelphia has the warmer winter: January highs of 41°F vs 35°F.
- Erie gets far more snow: 104 inches a year vs 23.
- Philadelphia has more scorching days: 30 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 5.
- Commutes are shorter in Erie (18 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Erie, PA | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 91,838 | 1,574,281 |
| Growth since 2020 | -3.3% | -1.8% |
| People per square mile | 4,800 | 11,720 |
| Median age | 34.8 | 35.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $46,113 | $61,953 |
| Median home value | $115,200 | $243,100 |
| Home value to income | 2.5× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $870 | $1,397 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.0 | 102.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 56.8 | 113.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,200 | $76,900 |
| Homeowners | 54% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | 3.07% | 3.07% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.34% | 6.34% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.3 | 31.7 |
| Work from home | 8% | 18% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 17% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.1% | 8.1% |
| Poverty rate | 23.3% | 21.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 35° / 21° | 41° / 26° |
| July high / low | 81° / 64° | 88° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 43 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 104 in | 23 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 5 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 112 | 77 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 84.1 | 99.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 77% | 41% |
| Home prices, past year | +8% | +4.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +58.6% | +33.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Erie: May to October. Philadelphia: April to June and August to October.
Full monthly tables: Erie weather by month and Philadelphia weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,200 in Erie and $76,900 in Philadelphia. Moving from Erie to Philadelphia, you would need about $84,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Erie and Philadelphia
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Erie and Philadelphia.
Which would you pick?
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