Centre County, Pennsylvania Housing Market Prices
Centre County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 22% above the Pennsylvania median More expensive than 73% of counties in Pennsylvania$186,521
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Median rent About the same as the Pennsylvania median More expensive than 82% of counties in Pennsylvania$1,206
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $186,521 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 4.3% | 3.7% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,206 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.3% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Centre County is about 22% higher than in Pennsylvania. Rent follows a similar pattern, running close to the Pennsylvania average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Centre County, up about 4.3% and 3.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Centre County rose about 34.0% between 2015 and 2024, from $900 to $1,206. Over the same span, rent in Pennsylvania rose about 43.9%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.5 yearly household incomes in Centre County.
Buying the median-priced home in Centre County costs roughly 12.9 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Centre County. The price-to-rent ratio in Pennsylvania is about 10.5.
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $186,521 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $74,364 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.5 | 1.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Centre County rose about 11.0%, while median household income rose about 57.4% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 54.8% | 63.0% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 33.9% | 27.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 11.2% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2009 | 2011 |
Centre County has a homeownership rate of 54.8%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%. Its housing vacancy rate is 11.2%, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.31 people | 2.39 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1979 | 1966 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Centre County was built around 1979. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Centre County, PA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Centre County, PA is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 158,476 residents against a local median of 40,724. The measure that sets Centre County, PA apart most is median rent: $1,206, 48% above the local median of $815.
Homeownership tells the same story from another angle: 61.8% against a local median of 73.1%, 15% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is homeownership, and at 15% below the local median it puts Centre County, PA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves sit within $66 of each other on median rent, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Centre County, PA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Centre County, PA has the highest median rent of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre County, PA | 158,476 | $186,521 #2/5 | $1,206 #1/5 | 61.8% #5/5 |
| Clinton County, PA | 37,796 | $160,252 | $820 | 72.3% |
| Mifflin County, PA | 46,041 | $163,841 | $822 | 71.1% |
| Huntingdon County, PA | 43,653 | $213,060 | $810 | 79.2% |
| Juniata County, PA | 23,379 | $175,893 | $756 | 73.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Centre County, Pennsylvania.
What is the median home price in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
The median home price in Centre County, Pennsylvania is $186,521, higher than the Pennsylvania average of $152,469.
What is the average home price in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
The typical home price in Centre County, Pennsylvania, reported as the median sale price, is $186,521. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
The median gross rent in Centre County, Pennsylvania is $1,206 per month, about the same as the Pennsylvania average.
What was the median gross rent in Centre County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Centre County, Pennsylvania was $1,019 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
The price-to-rent ratio in Centre County, Pennsylvania is about 12.9, meaning it would take roughly 12.9 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Centre County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Centre County, up about 4.3% and 3.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
54.8% of households in Centre County, Pennsylvania own their home, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%.
What is the vacancy rate in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
The housing vacancy rate in Centre County, Pennsylvania is 11.2%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 9.1%.
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