Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety96#40/924
Economy56#411/925
Housing9#846/925
Health90#96/925
Healthcare84#150/923
Environment58#385/917
Education96#40/925
Infrastructure52#445/925
Community59#382/925
Leisure & amenities59#378/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where State College, PA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Premature death · low4,420 /100k
100/100Pennsylvania 7,952 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · low47 /100k
99/100Pennsylvania 98 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high61.0%
98/100Pennsylvania 51.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · high81.7 yrs
98/100Pennsylvania 77.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · high3.2%
98/100Pennsylvania 3.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Flu vaccinations · high56.0%
98/100Pennsylvania 52.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high42.4%
4/100Pennsylvania 34.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · high34.4%
5/100Pennsylvania 29.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
5/100Pennsylvania 12.4 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high57.0%
6/100Pennsylvania 48.2%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Pharmacies · low0.8 /10k
10/100Pennsylvania 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.3%
13/100Pennsylvania 23.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child care cost burdenWorsening
22.6% (2020 & 2021) → 42.4% (2023 & 2024)
+20 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 14% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+14 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
5.0 /1k (2020) → 7.5 /1k (2025)
+50%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
PharmaciesWorsening
1.5 /10k (2020) → 0.8 /10k (2025)
−46%5 yearsUS 1.9 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Suicide rateWorsening
8.2 /100k (2021) → 11.4 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+39%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
27.1% (Dec 2021) → 34.2% (Aug 2026)
+7.1 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, State College, PA metro area improved on 10 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 6 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Grocery stores+22%1.2 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Arts & recreation+20%4.2 /10k → 5.1 /10k
Poverty−1.8 points18.2% → 16.3%
New businesses+50%5.0 /1k → 7.5 /1k
Unemployment−2.5 points5.8% → 3.3%

Declined6

Transit use−2.5 points5.7% → 3.2%
Pharmacies−46%1.5 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Restaurants−6.3%7.5 /10k → 7.1 /10k
Firearm deaths+17%7.0 /100k → 8.2 /100k
Price / income+0.5×3.9× → 4.4×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of State College, PA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.2 /10k2020	5.1 /10k2025	+20%	Improved	74%
Average commute time	20.4 min2015-2019	20.2 min2020-2024	−0.2 min	Within the margin of error	71%
Average weekly wage	$1,0802020	$1,2612025	+17%	Improved	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	45.5%2015-2019	46.2%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Little change	15%
Broadband subscriptions	82.1%2015-2019	85.5%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Improved	3%
Child poverty rate	10.7%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Distance to an airport	72 mi2020	72 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	7.6 /100k2020	6.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−9.2%	Improved	35%
Effective property tax rate	1.21%2015-2019	1.04%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	65%
Firearm deaths	7.0 /100k2020	8.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+17%	Declined	27%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	90%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+0.4%	Little change	43%
High school diploma or higher	94.3%2015-2019	94.5%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Little change	10%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	4.4×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	47%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,7142019	$61,0462024	+23%	Improved	3%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4722015-2019	0.4772020-2024	+0.005	Within the margin of error	41%
Median household income	$60,4032015-2019	$74,2912020-2024	+23%	Improved	28%
New business applications	5.0 /1k2020	7.5 /1k2025	+50%	Improved	56%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−46%	Declined	3%
Poverty rate	18.2%2015-2019	16.3%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Improved	69%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	+2.3%	Little change	77%
Public transit commuters	5.7%2015-2019	3.2%2020-2024	−2.5 points	Declined	4%
Rent as share of income	34.9%2015-2019	34.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Rent-burdened households	57.1%2015-2019	57.0%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Restaurants and bars	7.5 /10k2020	7.1 /10k2025	−6.3%	Declined	21%
Suicide rate	10.8 /100k2020	11.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+5.6%	Declined	47%
Traffic deaths	8.0 /100k2015-2019	8.1 /100k2020-2024	+0.9%	Little change	61%
Unemployment rate	5.8%2020	3.3%2025	−2.5 points	Improved	35%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.5%2015-2019	6.2%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	54%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 879 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like State College, PA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of State College, PA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, State College, PA metro area itself moved −3.4 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

158,576 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

59,013 households (±594)

State College, PA metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%10,223
$25k–50k18%10,808
$50k–75k15%8,690

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

59,013 households (±594)

State College, PA metro area
United States share

Own62%36,467
Rent38%22,546

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

71,625 workers (±1,537)

State College, PA metro area
United States share

Drive alone63%45,092
Carpool6.9%4,934
Public transit3.2%2,299

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in State College, PA employ 14,820 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in State College, PA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,320 jobs	2,320	$27,790US $31,200	−11%	1.36×
Retail Salespersons1,710 jobs	1,710	$29,240US $35,410	−17%	0.99×
General and Operations Managers1,470 jobs	1,470	$91,120US $105,770	−14%	0.95×
Office Clerks, General1,460 jobs	1,460	$43,920US $45,010	−2%	1.34×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,380 jobs	1,380	$29,950US $35,800	−16%	0.72×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,360 jobs	1,360	$35,850US $36,840	−3%	1.39×
Waiters and Waitresses1,350 jobs	1,350	$35,280US $35,230	0%	1.34×
Registered Nurses1,310 jobs	1,310	$81,480US $97,550	−16%	0.87×
Cashiers1,280 jobs	1,280	$28,090US $32,880	−15%	0.93×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,180 jobs	1,180	$33,890US $37,330	−9%	0.94×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in State College, PA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

State College, PA has 3,344 employer establishments, 211 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248), with 44,569 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,847. The Census Bureau also counts 10,575 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,344; 10,575 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 211; US 248
Paid employees: 44,569
Average annual pay: $48,847; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of State College, PA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	274	17.3	0.83×About typical	3,228	$67,423	438
Restaurants and other eating places	263	16.6	0.90×About typical	5,374	$19,777	43
Specialty trade contractors	155	9.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	1,269	$59,212	649
Lessors of real estate	136	8.6	0.70×Fewer than typical	686	$54,730	1,168
Construction of buildings	125	7.9	1.04×About typical	834	$60,254	341
Religious organizations	119	7.5	1.35×More than typical	783	$24,907	—
Limited-service restaurants	116	7.3	0.91×About typical	2,131	$16,604	23
Full-service restaurants	105	6.6	0.86×About typical	2,586	$23,746	16
Services to buildings and dwellings	101	6.4	0.94×About typical	763	$39,201	434
Offices of other health practitioners	92	5.8	0.95×About typical	498	$45,869	270
Management, scientific and technical consulting	86	5.4	0.81×About typical	226	$61,748	634
Architectural, engineering and related services	76	4.8	1.37×More than typical	691	$81,401	117

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 158,739 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $420.9M on contracts performed in State College, PA metro area: $2,674 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $420.9M; +23% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,674; US $1,994
Sole-source: 94%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$392.9M93%
Washington Headquarters Services$9.3M2.2%
Departmental Offices$4.1M1.0%
Federal Aviation Administration$3.9M0.9%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$3.2M0.8%
Department of the Army$2.6M0.6%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$1.3M0.3%
Federal Railroad Administration$1.2M0.3%

Top recipients

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY$405.8M96%
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY$4.7M1.1%
SMB CONTRACTING INC$3.8M0.9%
KINTOCK GROUP, INC THE$1.3M0.3%
RAILROAD TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY$1.2M0.3%

Spending by fiscal year

224.9MFY2017
225.3MFY2018
261.8MFY2019
351.6MFY2020
218.6MFY2021
265.7MFY2022
320MFY2023
341.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$407.8M97%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools · 6113$4.8M1.1%
Utility system construction · 2371$3.8M0.9%
Other residential care facilities · 6239$1.3M0.3%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$1.1M0.3%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415

Largest awards

MK 48 MOD 9 PROOF OF DESIGN DEVELOPMENT$115.8M
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY· Centre County, PA· Research & development· Sep 20, 2023 – May 29, 2026· N0002423F8401
SWIFT ULTRAVIOLET&OPTICAL TELESCOPES X-RAY TELESCOPE, GROUND STATION SYSTEM$81.6M
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY· Centre County, PA· Research & development· Nov 18, 2016 – Aug 31, 2026· GSFC0200004DNAS500136
COMPACT RAPID ATTACK WEAPON (CRAW) PROGRAM OF RECORD (POR) FY25-FY27$54M
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY· Centre County, PA· Research & development· Sep 9, 2024 – Jun 5, 2026· N0002424F8358
DEPOTDOGS (SAN DIEOG-DEPOT), BUILDING 585 DEPLOYABLE NODES

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for State College, PA metro area: $7,433 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.2B; −0.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,433; US $12,955
Loan face value: $24.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$553.7M47%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$103M8.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$55.5M4.7%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$43.3M3.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$35.2M3.0%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$25.9M2.2%
20.229 · Appalachian Development Highway System$23.7M2.0%
93.859 · Biomedical Research and Research Training$19.8M1.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY$238.2M20%
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE$108.6M9.3%
STATE COLLEGE, PA
PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$75.5M6.5%
HARRISBURG, PA
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY$15.1M1.3%
STATE COLLEGE, PA
CENTRE COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$642.1M55%
Department of Education$113.1M9.7%
National Institutes of Health$88.3M7.5%
Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Highway Administration$75.5M6.5%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$66.5M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.3BFY2021
997.6MFY2022
1BFY2023
1.3BFY2024
1.2BFY2025
1.2BFY2026

County aggregates

61%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in State College, PA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Centre CountyCentral county82157,393

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

State CollegePrincipal city41,050

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Pennsylvania

Areas based in Pennsylvania, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M44300

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like State College, PA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in State College, PA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Pennsylvania

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought