States › Pennsylvania › Palmerton

Is Palmerton, PA expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 17 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,02741% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$73,492about $6,124/month · 16% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$180,00046% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 86% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs under 3 years of household income, which is easy by U.S. standards.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $41,080 a year. That is $20 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Pennsylvania cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Pennsylvania. It is number 55 of 269 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Palmerton
$1,027
Shippensburg
$948
Wyndmoor
$1,615
Selinsgrove
$1,169
Punxsutawney
$1,181
Mount Carmel
$819
New Brighton
$826

How much do households earn in Palmerton?

Under $25k
20.4%
$25k–50k
17.9%
$50k–100k
36.3%
$100k–150k
13.6%
$150k+
5.6%

Share of households by yearly income. 19.2% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Palmerton

SizePalmertonU.S. average
2 bedrooms$1,084$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,045$1,698
4 bedrooms$2,227$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Palmerton overall?

Everyday prices in Pennsylvania overall are 2% below the U.S. average (index 97.6, U.S. = 100).

Housing
85
Goods (food, clothes…)
99
Utilities
109
Other services
100
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Palmerton, so the Pennsylvania figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Palmerton

🏛️ Property tax$3,085a year · 1.71% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$135a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Palmerton

Commute to work30 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree18.3%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home57.9%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line15.9%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment1.8%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Palmerton?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $222 a month less.

Renting
$1,027
Owning
$1,249

Owning assumes a typical $180,000 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $18,000 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Palmerton, PA?

Renting in Palmerton costs a median of about $1,027 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Pennsylvania median is $1,367.

How much do I need to make to live in Palmerton?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $41,080 a year, or $20 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Palmerton cheap or expensive?

Palmerton is rated Cheap: rent takes 16.8% of the typical household income of $73,492. It ranks 55th cheapest of 269 Pennsylvania cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Palmerton?

The median homeowner in Palmerton pays $3,085 a year in property taxes, about 1.71% of the median home value.

Is Palmerton more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Pennsylvania are 2% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Palmerton?

The median home value in Palmerton is $180,000, about 2.4 times the typical yearly household income.

5,622 people live in Palmerton. Numbers are typical (middle) values.