Blair County · Altoona · population 42,719
Where Altoona stands
At or near all-time high. home values up 4.2% in the last year. population shrinking 0.7% per year. rents up 6.1% in the last year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 11.2 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Altoona on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 11.2 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Altoona has held up across the cycle: home values at $143,468 with +2.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Altoona's population is shrinking 0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.
About Altoona
Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of 42,719. The population has contracted 0.7% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Altoona is $143,468 as of 2026-04, up 4.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Altoona average $1,070 per month, up 6.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Altoona (Wikipedia)
Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Altoona metropolitan area, which includes all of Blair County and was recorded as having a population of 122,823.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Playbook
You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.
Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.
Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Blair County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Blair County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of Altoona
13 tracked · ranked by median home valueCities like Altoona
Run the numbers for Altoona
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Altoona listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- Penn State Altoona professor featured on WPSU’s 'Keystone Stories'Penn State Altoona · 8h ago
- Catch me if you can!altoonamirror.com · just now
- Judge slams Altoona McDonald’s backpack search, but gun evidence stays in Mangione caseWJAC · 2d ago
- 2708 Wehnwood Rd Unit S12, Altoona, PA 16601Realtor.com · 1d ago
- Luigi Mangione state trial: Certain evidence suppressed, key evidence allowed6abc Philadelphia · 2d ago
- Penn State Altoona to host engineering alumni reunion Oct. 16 and 17Penn State Altoona · 8h ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Altoona area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Altoona
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.