Harrisburg, PA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Pennsylvania·Harrisburg

Dauphin County · Harrisburg-Carlisle · population 50,649

First-time buyers
Harrisburg, PA
Image: Wikipedia · Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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72
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Harrisburg stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $265,646
1-year +3.7%
5-yr CAGR +6.7%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$266k$99k$158k$217k$276k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

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 · monthly
$1,372/mo$962$1,209$1,456202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent138134100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.1
Lean buy

At a 16.1 price-to-rent ratio, Harrisburg is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
69 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
73 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
50 · w16%
Rent YoY
68 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
87 · w10%
Long thesis

Harrisburg is a Rust Belt market with +0.3% population growth — a rare combination. You're buying real housing for less than the cost of a coastal studio in a city the data says is finally turning.

Short thesis

Harrisburg's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Harrisburg

Harrisburg is a city in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of 50,649. It anchors the Harrisburg-Carlisle metro area. The median home value in Harrisburg is $265,646 as of 2026-04, up 3.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Harrisburg average $1,372 per month, up 3.4% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 72 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.7% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.7% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Harrisburg (Wikipedia)

Harrisburg is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the ninth-most populous city in the state, with a population of 50,099 at the 2020 census, while the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area has an estimated 615,000 residents and is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is situated on the east bank of the Susquehanna River 83 miles (134 km) southwest of Allentown and 107 miles (172 km) northwest of Philadelphia. It is officially incorporated as a third-class city and is the county seat of Dauphin County.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorWanda Williams

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

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.

Seller

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.

Investor

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 Dauphin County right now.

NWS active alerts (PA)Pennsylvania Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Dauphin County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Harrisburg

15 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Skyline View$343,920+1.4%
2Paxtonia$313,948+2.9%
3Linglestown$307,761+2.0%
4Colonial Park$278,390+2.7%
5Lawnton$278,170+2.0%
6Rutherford$265,942+4.5%
7Progress$261,444+4.5%
8Shipoke$227,237+4.6%
9Capitol District$224,090+4.5%
10Bressler$204,192+5.2%
11Midtown$203,052-1.1%
12Steelton$158,685+5.9%
13Uptown$148,059+4.0%
14South Harrisburg$134,153+4.8%
15Allison Hill$121,008+25.6%

Cities like Harrisburg

York, PA73 · RisingAllentown, PA73 · RisingBethlehem, PA72 · RisingHanover, PA69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Harrisburg

ToolCan I afford Harrisburg?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Harrisburg rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Harrisburg to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolHarrisburg cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 63°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
186
~51% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
30″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Low
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

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

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Harrisburg listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Harrisburg-Carlisle area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$73,800
Pennsylvania state median
Top industries (state-level)
Healthcare (Pittsburgh)Finance (Philly)Manufacturing

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.

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