Where Pennsylvania’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022
How does living in the Keystone state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Pennsylvania’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Pennsylvania, doxo’s data reveals, pays $1,851 in bills per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 215 cities and towns across Pennsylvania, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Pennsylvania and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Pennsylvania’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Pennsylvania residents pay $1,851 in household bills a month
The average Pennsylvania household pays $1,851 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Pennsylvania residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 30th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Louisiana ranks 29th, with annual monthly expenses of $1,871, and North Carolina ranks 31st, at $1,829.
Pennsylvania’s household expenses, on average, are 8% lower than the national average of $2,003.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Pennsylvania households spend 36% of their income on household bills. For example, Connecticut is the 6th most expensive state and New York is the 7th most expensive, but New York residents spend 39% of their income on bills, while Connecticut residents spend only 35%.
Annually, Pennsylvania residents pay $111 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Pennsylvania by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Pennsylvania
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,851 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $111 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 30 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 36%
- Difference from the National Average: 8% lower
Housing bill category drives Pennsylvania’s low monthly bill expenses
The average Pennsylvania household pays $1,851 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses drive savings, with both being considerably lower than the national average. The average mortgage payment in Pennsylvania is $1,326, and average rent is $964, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368 and rent bill of $1,129.
Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for residents of Pennsylvania. Still, these expenses are still lower than the national average. The average auto loan bill in Pennsylvania is $377 a month, compared to the national average of $433.
Compared to the national average, health insurance are also a notably higher expense for residents of Pennsylvania. The average household in the state pays $145 a month for health insurance, compared to the national average of $123.
Utilities, by contrast, is more affordable in Pennsylvania. While US residents on average spend $328 per month on utilities, in Pennsylvania they spend just $318.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Pennsylvania Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Pennsylvania Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Pennsylvania Percent +/- National Average ($2,003) |
| Mortgage | $1,326 | $1,368 | 3% lower |
| Rent | $964 | $1,129 | 16% lower |
| Auto Loan | $377 | $433 | 14% lower |
| Utilities | $318 | $328 | 3% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $211 | $196 | 7% higher |
| Cable & Internet | $108 | $114 | 5% lower |
| Health Insurance | $145 | $123 | 16% higher |
| Mobile Phone | $104 | $113 | 8% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $85 | $84 | 1% higher |
| Life Insurance | $73 | $82 | 12% lower |
| Total | $1,851 | $2,003 | 8% lower |
Wynnewood tops the list of most expensive cities for Pennsylvania’s household bills
Residents of Wynnewood pay the highest household bills in the state of Pennsylvania, at an average of $2,868 per month. Newton comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,846 on average per month.
In proportion to household income, however, Wynnewood’s bills are costlier than ones in Newton. While Wynnewood’s monthly bill basket makes up 25% of average household income there, Newton’s bill basket accounts for 28% of average household income in that area.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Pennsylvania Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 78) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills | |
| 1 | Wynnewood | $2,868 | 25% | |
| 2 | Newton | $2,846 | 28% | |
| 3 | Bryn Mawr | $2,841 | 33% | |
| 4 | Doylestown | $2,810 | 29% | |
| 5 | Glen Mills | $2,797 | 31% | |
| 6 | Chalfont | $2,743 | 30% | |
| 7 | Southampton | $2,720 | 34% | |
| 8 | Langhorne | $2,701 | 35% | |
| 9 | Warrington | $2,697 | 31% | |
| 10 | Wayne | $2,683 | 23% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Oil City is the most affordable Pennsylvania city for household bills
Out of 215 cities and towns, Oil City is the most affordable place in Pennsylvania, with residents paying $1,300 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 36% of local income in Piedmont.
Punxsutawney comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Pennsylvania, with residents paying $1,310 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Pennsylvania are Pottsville ($1,336 per month), Jersey Shore ($1,337 per month), and Sharon ($1,340 per month).
10 Most Affordable Pennsylvania Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (206-215 out of 215) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 206 | Greenville | $1,404 | 35% |
| 207 | Williamsport | $1,394 | 36% |
| 208 | Nanticoke | $1,394 | 40% |
| 209 | Kittanning | $1,387 | 34% |
| 210 | Sunbury | $1,367 | 37% |
| 211 | Sharon | $1,340 | 52% |
| 212 | Jersey Shore | $1,337 | 29% |
| 213 | Pottsville | $1,336 | 35% |
| 214 | Punxsutawney | $1,310 | 36% |
| 215 | Oil City | $1,300 | 36% |
In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Pennsylvania’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also usedoxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.