100-Hour Weeks To Afford Rent: How Expensive Is Living In PA?

PENNSYLVANIA — Astronomical rent prices in Pennsylvania continue to make affording housing nearly impossible for anyone working near the state's current minimum wage line, as new data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows.

Typical workweeks are nearly impossible for those looking to obtain basic shelter in the Keystone State, with more than 100 hours a week required in some areas for individuals making the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom apartment in the state is $1,087 (it's $882 for a one bedroom). Even though this is just the 27th highest rate in the nation, it still means that a minimum wage worker would need to work 115 hours a week for a two bedroom and 94 hours a week for a one bedroom.

If an individual works just 40 hours a week, in order to afford the Fair Market Rent they'd need to make at least $20.90 an hour, or $43,463 a year.

Pennsylvania's average renter wage of $19.25 comes in well below the average wage needed to afford housing at 40 hours a week.

Price, of course, varies greatly by region. In the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, that rate was $24.96. It's $23.31 in State College and $23 in Lehigh Valley.

A breakdown of the wage needed in the state's most populated regions is below:

• Pike County: $26.31
• Philadelphia: $24.96
• State College: $23.31
• Allentown: $23.00
• East Stroudsburg: $22.17
• Lancaster: $22.08
• Harrisburg-Carlisle: $20.65
• Reading: $19.96
• Gettysburg: $19.85
• York-Hanover: $19.69
• Lebanon: $19.02
• Pittsburgh: $18.87
• Williamsport: $17.02
• Chambersburg: $18.06
• Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: $16.87
• Columbia County: $16.52
• Erie: $16.31
• Altoona: $15.94
• Armstrong County: $15.52
• Johnstown: $14.56
• Sharon: $14.56

Here's the NLIHC's national report on rental costs and Pennsylvania data.