Your motto will soon be ‘goodbye tension, hello pension’ if you decide to call Pennsylvania home for your retirement years.
Pennsylvania is one of 37 states that does not tax Social Security and one of nine states that does not have an income tax. It is considered one of the most “tax-friendly” states in America, and this is why it is one of the best states to retire in the country.
There are some places, however, in the Keystone State that are better than others for retirees, and we’re here to tell you where the best places to retire in Pennsylvania for 2026
How’d we determine the best places to retire in Pennsylvania? To identify Pennsylvania’s top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 53 cities. We looked at important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent, and distance to the closest airport for every place with over 10,000 residents.
You’ll find the majority of Pennsylvania’s best places to retire located close to the state’s biggest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Additionally, many of Pennsylvania’s best places to retire are also some of the state’s safest.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania For 2026
What’s the best place to retire in Pennsylvania? According to the latest data, the best place to retire in Pennsylvania is Johnstown.
To learn more about the best places to retire in the Quaker State, look at the list below.
Why did Johnstown take the top spot? And where are Philadelphia and Pittsburgh?
For more Pennsylvania state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania For 2026
/10
Population: 18,087
Median Income: $37,888
Median Home Price: $86,107
Median Rent: $644
Distance to Closest Airport: 15 miles
More on Johnstown: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,400
Median Income: $90,762
Median Home Price: $345,140
Median Rent: $1,174
Distance to Closest Airport: 3 miles
More on Northampton: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,653
Median Income: $57,462
Median Home Price: $164,941
Median Rent: $792
Distance to Closest Airport: 17 miles
More on Nanticoke: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 14,811
Median Income: $89,404
Median Home Price: $262,405
Median Rent: $915
Distance to Closest Airport: 15 miles
More on Whitehall: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 14,741
Median Income: $64,914
Median Home Price: $238,468
Median Rent: $839
Distance to Closest Airport: 38 miles
More on Greensburg: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,317
Median Income: $49,800
Median Home Price: $203,642
Median Rent: $797
Distance to Closest Airport: 33 miles
More on Berwick: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,011
Median Income: $49,063
Median Home Price: $169,953
Median Rent: $751
Distance to Closest Airport: 25 miles
More on New Kensington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 21,579
Median Income: $42,219
Median Home Price: $144,555
Median Rent: $741
Distance to Closest Airport: 35 miles
More on New Castle: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,548
Median Income: $52,517
Median Home Price: $147,110
Median Rent: $780
Distance to Closest Airport: 18 miles
More on Munhall: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 11,889
Median Income: $83,917
Median Home Price: $385,740
Median Rent: $1,389
Distance to Closest Airport: 8 miles
More on Emmaus: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Keystone State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Pennsylvania to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Keystone State — 1752 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 53 places from across the state.
For these 53, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 53, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Johnstown, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Pennsylvania.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Pennsylvania Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Pennsylvania goes to Johnstown.
The best places to retire in Pennsylvania are Johnstown, Northampton, Nanticoke, Whitehall, Greensburg, Berwick, New Kensington, New Castle, Munhall, and Emmaus.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Allentown
- State College
- Philadelphia
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnstown | 18,087 | $37,888 | $86,107 | $644 |
| 2 | Northampton | 10,400 | $90,762 | $345,140 | $1,174 |
| 3 | Nanticoke | 10,653 | $57,462 | $164,941 | $792 |
| 4 | Whitehall | 14,811 | $89,404 | $262,405 | $915 |
| 5 | Greensburg | 14,741 | $64,914 | $238,468 | $839 |
| 6 | Berwick | 10,317 | $49,800 | $203,642 | $797 |
| 7 | New Kensington | 12,011 | $49,063 | $169,953 | $751 |
| 8 | New Castle | 21,579 | $42,219 | $144,555 | $741 |
| 9 | Munhall | 10,548 | $52,517 | $147,110 | $780 |
| 10 | Emmaus | 11,889 | $83,917 | $385,740 | $1,389 |