CITY PROFILE
Altoona, PA
WHAT LIVING HERE IS LIKE
Altoona, PA is a smaller metro where housing costs rank among the more affordable in the country, making it accessible if you're budget-conscious. Expect a temperate four-season climate with moderate sunshine and a wet climate—pack layers and an umbrella, but you'll experience genuine seasonal change. This is a straightforward, low-cost place to live without pretense.
By the numbers
| Typical home value | $178K · Zillow, May 2026 (ZHVI) |
|---|---|
| Typical rent | $1,077/mo · Zillow, May 2026 (ZORI) |
| Average temperature | 9.9°C · warmest 22.8°C · coolest -3.5°C · NASA POWER |
| Annual precipitation | 1047 mm · NASA POWER |
| Sunshine (solar energy) | 3.72 kWh/m²/day · NASA POWER (annual mean) |
| Metro size rank (US) | #340 · Zillow SizeRank |
Match scores
- Affordable to buy95
- Affordable to rent92
- Climate comfort46
- Plenty of sunshine34
- Big-city amenities18
Scores are 0–100, normalised across the metros we cover, derived from the sourced figures above (higher = better on that factor). A research aid, not a recommendation to move. Job market, safety, and healthcare access need key-gated feeds (BLS, FBI, Census) not yet wired — see the methodology.
