The 10 Happiest Cities In Pennsylvania For 2024


The happiest cities in Pennsylvania are State College and Bellefonte for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Welcome to the happiest places in Pennsylvania.

Using Saturday Night Science and data, we determined the cities and towns with the most rainbows, butterflies, puppies, and unicorns.

You know, the places where people have jobs, white-picked fences, and friendly neighbors – unicorn cities.

After analyzing the 189 largest cities, we happily present the happiest cities in the Keystone State.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Happiest Cities In Pennsylvania Map

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably live in one of these cities.

Oh, and by the way, Darby is the most miserable place in Pennsylvania.

For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:

The 10 Happiest Places In Pennsylvania For 2024

State College, PA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 40,902
Poverty Level: 42.1%
Median Home Price $377,914
Married Households 7.0%
Households With Kids 12.74%
More on State College: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

State College is by far the happiest place in the state of Pennsylvania. Let’s see why.
First off, having a solid family life is a good indication of how happy someone is. Lots of the residents of State College aren’t missing out on love; more than 7% of them are married. Plus, the average commute time here is only about 16 minutes each way. That means a lot more time with the spouse and kids.

Bellefonte, PA

Source: Flickr User jmd41280 | CC BY-ND 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 6,071
Poverty Level: 12.6%
Median Home Price $277,340
Married Households 35.0%
Households With Kids 19.63%
More on Bellefonte: Data | Cost Of Living

Things look to be pretty pleasant in Bellefonte. Crime is really low here, and the percentage of married residents (35%) mean there’s lots of stability at home.
In addition to those factors, there is a thriving amount of community involvement. Studies have shown that a key factor to happiness is when people volunteer, especially in their own neighborhoods.

Lewisburg, PA

Source: Wikipedia User Doug Kerr | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,284
Poverty Level: 16.2%
Median Home Price $291,241
Married Households 9.0%
Households With Kids 12.16%
More on Lewisburg: Data | Cost Of Living

The people who live in Lewisburg have a lot going for them. 50% of them have college degrees, and they command some of the highest salaries in PA. 9% of the people here are married.
Most of these all tops in the entire state.

Hollidaysburg, PA

Source: Wikipedia User David Carey | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,630
Poverty Level: 6.8%
Median Home Price $235,946
Married Households 40.0%
Households With Kids 24.25%
More on Hollidaysburg: Data | Cost Of Living

Hollidaysburg is where you can bet there are lots of smiley and happy people all over town. Crime is essentially something that just doesn’t happen here very often. And when you can let your guard down and relax a little, the lack of stress really makes a difference.
Same goes on the job front. Only 2.7% of residents here are out of work. Sounds like there are jobs for just about everyone who wants one. Which must be a good feeling to have.

Wyomissing, PA

Source: Wikipedia User Shuvaev | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 11,067
Poverty Level: 4.7%
Median Home Price $339,512
Married Households 34.0%
Households With Kids 17.06%
More on Wyomissing: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

If you want to see a bunch of happy people, go to Wyomissing. It seriously looks like something out of a commercial.
They have a 20 minute commute time, which means lots more time with the kids.

Clarks Summit, PA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 5,091
Poverty Level: 2.1%
Median Home Price $305,379
Married Households 31.0%
Households With Kids 20.64%
More on Clarks Summit: Data

For those who say that money doesn’t buy happiness, you’re half right. Studies have shown that people are happy up to a certain point when it comes to annual salaries, somewhere around $72,000 a year. After that, it doesn’t matter how much you make, you’re not going to be much happier.
The residents of Clarks Summit have that covered. Plus about 31% of households are married.

Moosic, PA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,930
Poverty Level: 8.0%
Median Home Price $210,038
Married Households 38.0%
Households With Kids 19.91%
More on Moosic: Data | Cost Of Living

Most of the people in Moosic have to be ‘plum’ happy. True happiness is ‘Home Sweet Home’ with your kids and spouse, being reminded to do chores, run errands and fold the clothes right.

Bloomsburg, PA

Source: Wikipedia User Ruhrfisch (talk) | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 12,836
Poverty Level: 32.0%
Median Home Price $230,927
Married Households 13.0%
Households With Kids 20.93%
More on Bloomsburg: Data | Cost Of Living

Less than 5.4% of the residents in Bloomsburg are jobless, which is just about as low as you’ll see.

Incomes are steady, and commute times are really low as well. That really takes away the stress factors that stop folks from relaxing and enjoying their ‘down time’ to do the little things that matter: Walks in the park, time alone with a book and extra face time with the children.

Carlisle, PA

Source: Wikipedia User Doug Kerr | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 20,846
Poverty Level: 18.9%
Median Home Price $293,109
Married Households 19.0%
Households With Kids 25.38%
More on Carlisle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

About 39% of residents in Carlisle, PA have a college degree. While we’ve all heard the saying, ‘Ignorance is bliss,’ our argument is: Ignorance is also broke.

Not only are most of the residents of Carlisle smart, they’re safe, too.

Hermitage, PA

Source: Wikipedia User Muryat Tanyel | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 16,216
Poverty Level: 12.3%
Median Home Price $201,258
Married Households 41.0%
Households With Kids 23.48%
More on Hermitage: Data | Cost Of Living

In Hermitage, most of the population is married, and most own their own homes.
The commute times (19 minutes each way) might eventually start to turn the corners of those smiles sideways.
But for now, it’s all roses in Hermitage.

Methodology: How We Measured The Happiest Cities In The Keystone State

To rank the happiest places in Pennsylvania, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.

So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2018-2022 report for the happy criteria, added some Saturday Night Science, and generated the answer.

Here are the criteria we used to measure happiness:

  • Percentage of residents with a college degree
  • Average commute times
  • Unemployment rates
  • Cost of living
  • % of married couples
  • % of families with kids
  • Poverty rate

After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 189 places in Pennsylvania with over 5,000 people.

We then ranked each place from one to 189 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the happiest.

Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Happy Index for each place with the lowest overall Happy Index “earning” the title “Happiest City In Pennsylvania.”

If you’d like to see the complete list of cities, happiest to saddest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.

We updated this article for 2024, and it’s our tenth time ranking the happiest cities in Pennsylvania.

There You Have It – The Happiest Cities In Pennsylvania

As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Pennsylvania is usually a subjective matter.

But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.

The happiest cities in Pennsylvania are State College, Bellefonte, Lewisburg, Hollidaysburg, Wyomissing, Clarks Summit, Moosic, Bloomsburg, Carlisle, and Hermitage.

If you’re curious enough, here are the most miserable cities in Pennsylvania, according to science:

  1. Darby
  2. Duquesne
  3. Collingdale

For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:

Happiest Cities In Pennsylvania For 2024

Rank City Population Poverty Level Median Home Value % Married % Kids
1 State College, PA 40,902 42.1% $377,914 7.0% 12.74%
2 Bellefonte, PA 6,071 12.6% $277,340 35.0% 19.63%
3 Lewisburg, PA 5,284 16.2% $291,241 9.0% 12.16%
4 Hollidaysburg, PA 5,630 6.8% $235,946 40.0% 24.25%
5 Wyomissing, PA 11,067 4.7% $339,512 34.0% 17.06%
6 Clarks Summit, PA 5,091 2.1% $305,379 31.0% 20.64%
7 Moosic, PA 5,930 8.0% $210,038 38.0% 19.91%
8 Bloomsburg, PA 12,836 32.0% $230,927 13.0% 20.93%
9 Carlisle, PA 20,846 18.9% $293,109 19.0% 25.38%
10 Hermitage, PA 16,216 12.3% $201,258 41.0% 23.48%
11 Lititz, PA 9,559 3.7% $393,606 39.0% 28.49%
12 West Chester, PA 19,016 21.0% $582,975 10.0% 13.19%
13 New Cumberland, PA 7,515 10.9% $259,360 37.0% 22.37%
14 Selinsgrove, PA 5,710 6.2% $228,076 18.0% 15.56%
15 Conshohocken, PA 9,182 4.5% $431,765 33.0% 16.82%
16 Somerset, PA 6,030 16.3% $196,767 32.0% 24.25%
17 Millersville, PA 8,426 26.6% $308,678 15.0% 23.69%
18 Archbald, PA 7,316 9.7% $217,444 50.0% 32.29%
19 Gettysburg, PA 7,709 12.7% $316,650 12.0% 17.28%
20 Oakmont, PA 6,734 4.0% $301,656 41.0% 22.11%
21 Mount Joy, PA 8,274 10.8% $253,752 39.0% 25.22%
22 Nazareth, PA 6,015 16.9% $384,744 27.0% 28.9%
23 Dunmore, PA 14,082 9.2% $210,287 32.0% 24.5%
24 Camp Hill, PA 8,133 4.9% $291,977 32.0% 38.24%
25 Mechanicsburg, PA 9,402 5.5% $356,612 30.0% 24.99%
26 South Williamsport, PA 6,246 11.9% $179,562 39.0% 20.31%
27 Economy, PA 9,063 5.0% $265,781 49.0% 22.99%
28 Indiana, PA 14,082 24.6% $178,749 16.0% 18.49%
29 Pittsburgh, PA 303,843 19.4% $224,210 18.0% 17.45%
30 Swoyersville, PA 5,021 7.4% $174,911 45.0% 13.4%
31 Phoenixville, PA 18,723 10.1% $466,022 23.0% 23.57%
32 Elizabet, PA 11,805 8.0% $249,780 33.0% 26.14%
33 Kingston, PA 13,317 18.8% $190,124 25.0% 24.7%
34 Carnegie, PA 8,067 10.6% $208,311 29.0% 16.47%
35 Coraopolis, PA 5,510 14.8% $274,445 27.0% 24.72%
36 New Holland, PA 5,734 5.7% $358,363 36.0% 29.18%
37 Doyle, PA 8,305 4.1% $554,941 23.0% 23.16%
38 Lower Burrell, PA 11,701 5.7% $189,351 47.0% 22.39%
39 Castle Shannon, PA 8,283 8.3% $189,973 30.0% 16.17%
40 Blakely, PA 6,646 6.5% $188,158 36.0% 18.71%
41 Old Forge, PA 8,506 7.3% $189,084 40.0% 20.84%
42 Greensburg, PA 14,876 15.4% $218,993 31.0% 18.76%
43 Warren, PA 9,353 12.5% $140,726 29.0% 23.22%
44 Grove City, PA 7,908 11.1% $207,464 22.0% 24.72%
45 Bethlehem, PA 76,555 18.3% $311,453 16.0% 23.52%
46 Huntingdon, PA 6,904 13.2% $188,109 27.0% 25.45%
47 Perkasie, PA 9,130 7.5% $464,524 38.0% 28.35%
48 Whitehall, PA 14,909 8.8% $243,992 39.0% 22.23%
49 Bellevue, PA 8,236 7.5% $184,640 23.0% 15.59%
50 Collegeville, PA 5,172 5.1% $512,844 24.0% 21.14%
51 West View, PA 6,660 6.6% $217,210 41.0% 28.94%
52 Jefferson Hills, PA 12,296 3.0% $312,878 50.0% 28.48%
53 Dormont, PA 8,199 8.5% $211,309 30.0% 18.21%
54 Dubois, PA 7,509 9.7% $158,273 33.0% 24.91%
55 Palmyra, PA 7,783 15.7% $304,233 28.0% 32.47%
56 Emmaus, PA 11,644 7.0% $333,847 39.0% 33.67%
57 Berwick, PA 10,318 18.1% $179,801 33.0% 27.1%
58 Media, PA 5,860 3.8% $558,498 20.0% 14.87%
59 Hatboro, PA 8,176 7.9% $404,554 36.0% 33.74%
60 Shippensburg, PA 5,688 13.0% $174,313 20.0% 20.83%
61 Ambler, PA 6,775 8.1% $611,302 29.0% 34.05%
62 Columbia, PA 10,203 16.5% $250,459 30.0% 19.76%
63 Fox Chapel, PA 5,299 1.2% $971,545 33.0% 42.05%
64 Birdsboro, PA 5,106 11.8% $294,777 45.0% 27.59%
65 Williamsport, PA 27,755 25.4% $185,379 22.0% 27.54%
66 Chambersburg, PA 21,917 13.7% $257,534 20.0% 28.22%
67 St. Marys, PA 12,691 9.0% $158,992 46.0% 16.84%
68 Brentwood, PA 9,982 13.2% $165,365 30.0% 22.05%
69 Franklin Park, PA 15,305 3.3% $495,135 38.0% 40.97%
70 Canonsburg, PA 9,672 4.2% $328,096 34.0% 25.34%
71 Prospect Park, PA 6,411 15.5% $266,876 34.0% 31.13%
72 Ephrata, PA 13,738 9.3% $231,736 36.0% 30.87%
73 Plum, PA 27,032 3.2% $225,948 48.0% 29.1%
74 Lansdale, PA 18,727 8.3% $455,524 25.0% 31.88%
75 Crafton, PA 6,044 6.8% $204,534 37.0% 18.08%
76 Shillington, PA 5,458 18.5% $226,975 36.0% 31.48%
77 Pleasant Hills, PA 8,456 4.2% $246,154 42.0% 27.97%
78 White Oak, PA 7,585 8.9% $180,169 40.0% 13.24%
79 Punxsutawney, PA 5,730 19.7% $104,157 33.0% 20.44%
80 Exeter, PA 5,509 11.4% $208,115 27.0% 22.97%
81 Franklin, PA 6,066 17.6% $120,040 35.0% 23.92%
82 Duryea, PA 5,047 9.7% $173,579 40.0% 21.9%
83 Butler, PA 13,387 21.7% $229,441 25.0% 22.55%
84 Stroudsburg, PA 5,897 12.3% $323,097 11.0% 20.81%
85 Ridley Park, PA 7,152 6.4% $282,363 38.0% 28.41%
86 Altoona, PA 43,821 19.3% $135,104 36.0% 27.68%
87 Downin, PA 8,088 5.2% $335,348 29.0% 32.36%
88 Helle, PA 6,109 4.8% $251,823 32.0% 23.7%
89 Northampton, PA 10,341 9.1% $299,547 33.0% 26.75%
90 Olyphant, PA 5,372 9.6% $203,135 32.0% 30.32%
91 Souderton, PA 7,169 9.4% $416,204 35.0% 34.5%
92 Erie, PA 94,826 24.3% $168,333 23.0% 26.7%
93 Manheim, PA 5,028 11.2% $240,588 42.0% 38.71%
94 Middl, PA 9,525 16.0% $164,326 25.0% 26.19%
95 Washington, PA 13,358 19.4% $208,813 19.0% 18.88%
96 New Kensington, PA 12,163 19.4% $157,212 35.0% 21.4%
97 Baldwin, PA 21,266 7.5% $199,620 36.0% 28.47%
98 Monaca, PA 5,587 15.0% $176,838 37.0% 27.5%
99 Scranton, PA 76,119 19.6% $158,353 23.0% 27.42%
100 Munhall, PA 10,738 13.3% $133,350 32.0% 19.15%
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 900,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.