What is the cheapest city to buy a house in Pennsylvania?

Johnstown, with a median closed price of $52,250 over its reporting window, among Pennsylvania cities where Resideline tracked at least 100 closings inside the city limits.

Are these asking prices or sale prices?

Closed sale prices. Every price median is the price homes actually closed at inside the municipal boundary, not a listing price. The one column measured differently is realized appreciation, which uses the postal city, as the note under the table says.

Why does a cheap city show a high price per square foot?

Because the ranking median covers every property type that closed, condos and multi-family included, while the $/sqft column is single-family houses only. In cities where most sales are condos, the median price is low and the house $/sqft can still be high.

Is the appreciation figure a forecast?

No. It is the median annual change between consecutive sales of the same home, on repeat-sale pairs. It is historical and nominal, and it says what happened, not what will.

Cheapest Cities to Buy a House in Pennsylvania (2026)

Every Pennsylvania city below cleared 100 closings in its window and is ranked by the median price homes actually closed at, not the asking price. The columns beside it are the questions that follow a low price: what you pay per square foot, what the same homes did on resale, and how quickly listings go.

The ranking

#	City	Median closed price	Houses $/sqft	Realized appreciation	Days to contract	Closings	Window
1	Johnstown	$52,250	$38	4.39%/yr	19	192	12 months
2	Chester	$80,000	$64	5.15%/yr	36	223	six months
3	Beaver Falls	$84,720	$61	4.54%/yr	47	150	12 months
4	New Castle	$97,000	$73	5.86%/yr	46	156	six months
5	Butler	$102,050	$74	3.95%/yr	48	206	12 months
6	Pottsville	$105,000	$70	7.54%/yr	16	261	12 months
7	Aliquippa	$120,000	$97	4.75%/yr	43	166	12 months
8	Altoona	$122,250	$82	4.85%/yr	20	354	six months
9	Harrisburg	$144,000	$86	5.34%/yr	15	354	six months
10	Williamsport	$147,500	$98	4.59%/yr	16	341	12 months
11	New Kensington	$149,250	$122	n/a	50	200	12 months
12	Erie	$150,000	$119	4.50%/yr	7	593	six months
13	Wilkes Barre	$160,000	$102	n/a	22	171	six months
13	York	$160,000	$108	4.62%/yr	10	288	six months
15	Coraopolis	$160,673	$113	4.01%/yr	54	100	12 months

1. Johnstown, $52,250

Johnstown's median closed price over the last 12 months was $52,250, around 17 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. Resideline tracked 192 closings there, roughly 16 a month. Single-family houses closed at a median of $38 per square foot across 140 sales with usable living area. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 4.39 percent a year (477 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. The median listed home was under contract in 19 days, so a buyer here needs financing lined up before the search, not after. Full detail is on the Johnstown market page.

2. Chester, $80,000

Homes in Chester closed at a median of $80,000 over the last six months, about 26 percent of the Pennsylvania statewide median. Resideline tracked 223 closings there, roughly 37 a month. Single-family houses closed at a median of $64 per square foot across 132 sales with usable living area. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 5.15 percent a year (1,463 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. The median listed home took 36 days to go under contract, across 90 listed closings. About 11.3 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Chester market page.

3. Beaver Falls, $84,720

Beaver Falls's median closed price over the last 12 months was $84,720, around 28 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. Resideline tracked 150 closings there, roughly 12 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $61, measured on 107 sales. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 4.54 percent a year (336 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 47 days. Full detail is on the Beaver Falls market page.

4. New Castle, $97,000

New Castle's median closed price over the last six months was $97,000, around 32 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. 156 closings sit behind that figure, about 26 a month, enough to price against. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $73, measured on 142 sales. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 5.86 percent a year between those sales, on 757 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home took 46 days to go under contract, across 76 listed closings. About 6.0 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the New Castle market page.

5. Butler, $102,050

Butler's median closed price over the last 12 months was $102,050, around 33 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. Resideline tracked 206 closings there, roughly 17 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $74, measured on 136 sales. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 3.95 percent a year (489 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 48 days. Full detail is on the Butler market page.

6. Pottsville, $105,000

Pottsville's median closed price over the last 12 months was $105,000, around 34 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. 261 closings sit behind that figure, about 22 a month, enough to price against. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $70, measured on 176 sales. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 7.54 percent a year (370 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 16 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. About 13.2 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Pottsville market page.

7. Aliquippa, $120,000

Aliquippa's median closed price over the last 12 months was $120,000, around 39 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. Resideline tracked 166 closings there, roughly 14 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $97, measured on 134 sales. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 4.75 percent a year (469 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 43 days. Full detail is on the Aliquippa market page.

8. Altoona, $122,250

Altoona's median closed price over the last six months was $122,250, around 40 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. Resideline tracked 354 closings there, roughly 59 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $82, measured on 288 sales. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 4.85 percent a year between those sales, on 596 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 20 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. About 8.7 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Altoona market page.

9. Harrisburg, $144,000

Harrisburg's median closed price over the last six months was $144,000, around 47 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. Resideline tracked 354 closings there, roughly 59 a month. Single-family houses closed at a median of $86 per square foot across 206 sales with usable living area. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 5.34 percent a year (2,734 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 15 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Harrisburg market page.

10. Williamsport, $147,500

Williamsport's median closed price over the last 12 months was $147,500, around 48 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. 341 closings sit behind that figure, about 28 a month, enough to price against. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $98, measured on 273 sales. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 4.59 percent a year (658 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 16 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Williamsport market page.

11. New Kensington, $149,250

New Kensington's median closed price over the last 12 months was $149,250, around 49 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. 200 closings sit behind that figure, about 17 a month, enough to price against. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $122, measured on 58 sales. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 50 days. Full detail is on the New Kensington market page.

12. Erie, $150,000

Homes in Erie closed at a median of $150,000 over the last six months, about 49 percent of the Pennsylvania statewide median. 593 closings sit behind that figure, about 99 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $119 per square foot across 494 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 4.50 percent a year between those sales, on 3,759 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 7 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Erie market page.

13. Wilkes Barre, $160,000

Wilkes Barre's median closed price over the last six months was $160,000, around 52 percent of what the typical Pennsylvania sale closed at. Resideline tracked 171 closings there, roughly 28 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $102, measured on 130 sales. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 22 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. About 6.5 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Wilkes Barre market page.

13. York, $160,000

Homes in York closed at a median of $160,000 over the last six months, about 52 percent of the Pennsylvania statewide median. 288 closings sit behind that figure, about 48 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $108 per square foot across 119 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 4.62 percent a year between those sales, on 5,154 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 10 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the York market page.

15. Coraopolis, $160,673

Homes in Coraopolis closed at a median of $160,673 over the last 12 months, about 53 percent of the Pennsylvania statewide median. Only 100 homes closed in the window, roughly 8 a month, so the median is directional and the resale market is shallow. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $113, measured on 77 sales. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 4.01 percent a year between those sales, on 719 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home took 54 days to go under contract, across 53 listed closings. Full detail is on the Coraopolis market page.

Note: realized appreciation is the one column measured on the postal city, from repeat sales of the same home across the ZIP codes that share the city's name; every other figure is confined to the municipal boundary.

How to read this list

A low median is where the analysis starts, not where it ends. Property type, size, condition and block move a number far more than the city line does, so check any address on this list against its own comparable closings.

Figures last updated September 5, 2026 from closings Resideline tracked. Appreciation is the median annual change between consecutive sales of the same home; it is historical, nominal and not a projection.