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

All states·Pennsylvania·Williamsport

Lycoming County · Williamsport · population 27,628

First-time buyers
Williamsport, PA
Image: Wikipedia · Williamsport, Pennsylvania
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Williamsport stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 8.6% in the last year.

Median home $206,484
1-year +3.1%
5-yr CAGR +4.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$206k$124k$154k$184k$215k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
81/100
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
$1,032/mo$0$547$1,09420242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent1091158010012020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.7
Lean buy

At a 16.7 price-to-rent ratio, Williamsport 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
65 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
62 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
43 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
55 · w10%
Long thesis

Williamsport has held up across the cycle: home values at $206,484 with +4.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Williamsport'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 Williamsport

Williamsport is a city in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of 27,628. The median home value in Williamsport is $206,484 as of 2026-04, up 3.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Williamsport average $1,032 per month, up 8.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $206,484 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +3.1% 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.
●Hot rental market: rents up 8.6% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Rental squeeze: rents up 8.6% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Williamsport (Wikipedia)

Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 27,754. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of about 114,000. Williamsport is the larger principal city of the Williamsport-Lock Haven Combined Statistical Area, which includes Lycoming and Clinton counties.

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

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 Lycoming County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Williamsport

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Garden View$202,397+1.8%

Cities like Williamsport

Bethel Park, PA61 · StableNew Castle, PA67 · RisingMonroeville, PA63 · RisingWaynesboro, PA69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Williamsport

ToolCan I afford Williamsport?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Williamsport rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Williamsport to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWilliamsport 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 Williamsport 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 Williamsport 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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