Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Pennsylvania a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Pennsylvania.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Keystone State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Pennsylvania, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 67 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Pennsylvania For 2026
Chester County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Pennsylvania. And you should avoid Philadelphia County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Pennsylvania. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Pennsylvania and the cheapest places to live in Pennsylvania.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Pennsylvania For 2026
1. Chester County
Biggest Place: West Chester
Population: 547,840
Median Income: $127,208 (best)
Median Home Price: $571,119 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (13th best)
More on Chester County: Data
2. Bucks County
Biggest Place: Levittown
Population: 647,461
Median Income: $114,764 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $517,599 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (23rd best)
More on Bucks County: Data
3. Butler County
Biggest Place: Butler
Population: 197,254
Median Income: $89,843 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $309,403 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (24th best)
More on Butler County: Data
4. Montgomery County
Biggest Place: Norri
Population: 867,573
Median Income: $113,915 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $486,539 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (25th best)
More on Montgomery County: Data
5. Cumberland County
Biggest Place: Carlisle
Population: 268,323
Median Income: $87,494 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $345,528 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (11th best)
More on Cumberland County: Data
6. Montour County
Biggest Place: Danville
Population: 18,103
Median Income: $76,976 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $274,764 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (7th best)
More on Montour County: Data
7. Northampton County
Biggest Place: Bethlehem
Population: 318,580
Median Income: $89,184 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $363,988 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (29th best)
More on Northampton County: Data
8. Washington County
Biggest Place: Washington
Population: 210,042
Median Income: $78,958 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $234,811 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (33rd best)
More on Washington County: Data
9. Adams County
Biggest Place: Gettysburg
Population: 106,115
Median Income: $84,092 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $330,292 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (9th best)
More on Adams County: Data
10. Allegheny County
Biggest Place: Pittsburgh
Population: 1,238,177
Median Income: $78,548 (17th best)
Median Home Price: $237,963 (25th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (39th best)
More on Allegheny County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Pennsylvania county is the best?
To give you the best county in Pennsylvania, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Pennsylvania across each of the criteria from one to 67, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Pennsylvania.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Keystone State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Pennsylvania.
Read on to see why Chester County is the best county, while Philadelphia County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Pennsylvania.
Summary: The Best Counties In Pennsylvania To Call Home For 2026
Living in Pennsylvania can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Pennsylvania are Chester County, Bucks County, Butler County, Montgomery County, Cumberland County, Montour County, Northampton County, Washington County, Adams County, and Allegheny County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Pennsylvania according to the data:
- Philadelphia County
- Clinton County
- Fayette County
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Pennsylvania
- Best Counties To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Buy A House In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Pennsylvania
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chester County | 547,840 | $127,208 | $571,119 |
| 2 | Bucks County | 647,461 | $114,764 | $517,599 |
| 3 | Butler County | 197,254 | $89,843 | $309,403 |
| 4 | Montgomery County | 867,573 | $113,915 | $486,539 |
| 5 | Cumberland County | 268,323 | $87,494 | $345,528 |
| 6 | Montour County | 18,103 | $76,976 | $274,764 |
| 7 | Northampton County | 318,580 | $89,184 | $363,988 |
| 8 | Washington County | 210,042 | $78,958 | $234,811 |
| 9 | Adams County | 106,115 | $84,092 | $330,292 |
| 10 | Allegheny County | 1,238,177 | $78,548 | $237,963 |
| 11 | York County | 462,924 | $84,829 | $305,194 |
| 12 | Delaware County | 579,222 | $89,546 | $362,148 |
| 13 | Westmoreland County | 352,500 | $74,109 | $203,719 |
| 14 | Beaver County | 166,324 | $71,089 | $200,222 |
| 15 | Centre County | 158,576 | $74,291 | $345,528 |
| 16 | Lancaster County | 557,931 | $86,959 | $381,586 |
| 17 | Pike County | 60,621 | $81,323 | $299,135 |
| 18 | Perry County | 46,239 | $79,444 | $289,439 |
| 19 | Wyoming County | 25,967 | $72,460 | $222,165 |
| 20 | Elk County | 30,506 | $66,380 | $135,581 |
| 21 | Franklin County | 157,379 | $77,003 | $287,840 |
| 22 | Armstrong County | 64,622 | $65,008 | $151,383 |
| 23 | Fulton County | 14,531 | $65,836 | $226,138 |
| 24 | Union County | 42,456 | $76,404 | $288,803 |
| 25 | Lebanon County | 144,186 | $78,425 | $312,952 |
| 26 | Sullivan County | 5,888 | $69,764 | $206,444 |
| 27 | Warren County | 37,920 | $60,480 | $134,885 |
| 28 | Huntingdon County | 43,653 | $65,557 | $179,034 |
| 29 | Blair County | 121,277 | $62,382 | $169,523 |
| 30 | Lehigh County | 378,792 | $80,079 | $358,001 |
| 31 | Tioga County | 40,945 | $64,899 | $216,307 |
| 32 | Columbia County | 65,362 | $64,644 | $238,280 |
| 33 | Monroe County | 167,515 | $83,565 | $309,094 |
| 34 | Dauphin County | 289,593 | $76,242 | $275,929 |
| 35 | Snyder County | 39,668 | $66,876 | $220,763 |
| 36 | Juniata County | 23,379 | $66,318 | $226,914 |
| 37 | Erie County | 269,052 | $63,354 | $216,190 |
| 38 | Lycoming County | 113,489 | $63,917 | $228,850 |
| 39 | Susquehanna County | 38,219 | $68,487 | $234,456 |
| 40 | Berks County | 433,015 | $79,777 | $306,726 |
| 41 | Lackawanna County | 216,146 | $66,223 | $219,838 |
| 42 | Northumberland County | 90,560 | $60,583 | $160,849 |
| 43 | Somerset County | 72,799 | $61,446 | $173,653 |
| 44 | Lawrence County | 85,024 | $61,931 | $156,669 |
| 45 | Bedford County | 47,513 | $59,992 | $207,380 |
| 46 | Cambria County | 131,538 | $58,418 | $95,549 |
| 47 | Mckean County | 39,904 | $62,905 | $106,462 |
| 48 | Carbon County | 65,382 | $67,554 | $262,324 |
| 49 | Wayne County | 51,262 | $62,381 | $302,904 |
| 50 | Venango County | 49,801 | $61,522 | $127,374 |
| 51 | Schuylkill County | 143,558 | $68,313 | $161,535 |
| 52 | Potter County | 16,188 | $59,020 | $159,338 |
| 53 | Greene County | 34,835 | $68,041 | $139,551 |
| 54 | Forest County | 6,715 | $52,191 | $124,211 |
| 55 | Cameron County | 4,427 | $50,573 | $83,507 |
| 56 | Mercer County | 109,257 | $59,976 | $172,045 |
| 57 | Jefferson County | 43,864 | $58,686 | $122,664 |
| 58 | Mifflin County | 46,041 | $63,953 | $190,155 |
| 59 | Clarion County | 37,179 | $62,649 | $137,887 |
| 60 | Bradford County | 59,858 | $63,675 | $200,780 |
| 61 | Luzerne County | 327,675 | $63,691 | $214,820 |
| 62 | Clearfield County | 78,635 | $62,152 | $132,928 |
| 63 | Crawford County | 82,716 | $60,476 | $157,666 |
| 64 | Indiana County | 83,042 | $60,208 | $161,605 |
| 65 | Fayette County | 125,997 | $58,236 | $143,352 |
| 66 | Clinton County | 37,798 | $60,816 | $194,173 |
| 67 | Philadelphia County | 1,579,706 | $61,953 | $231,821 |