Thirty-Four Metros, Thirty-Three Rising, and the Cheapest Rose Fastest
Program and regulatory figures verified October 10, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Pennsylvania has more distinct housing markets than any state we cover, and the spread between them is larger than the spread between most states.
The metros
| Metro | Typical value | Year over year |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $389,523 | +2.5% |
| Lancaster | $387,889 | +4.5% |
| Allentown | $365,870 | +3.3% |
| ★ Lebanon (Fort Indiantown Gap) | $322,197 | +5.2% |
| ★ East Stroudsburg (Tobyhanna) | $312,772 | +1.7% |
| Harrisburg | $311,782 | +2.9% |
| ★ Chambersburg (Letterkenny) | $290,668 | +2.1% |
| Scranton | $235,727 | +2.1% |
| ★★ Pittsburgh | ★ $232,121 | ★★ +0.2% |
| Erie | $226,103 | +5.4% |
| Altoona | $175,416 | ★ +6.8% |
| ★ Indiana | $173,540 | ★★ +8.2% |
| ★ Meadville | $172,984 | ★ +7.6% |
| ★★ Johnstown | ★★ $112,455 | +2.4% |
| ★ Bradford | $112,352 | ★★ -2.8% |
Zillow typical values, 33rd to 67th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted, month ending 2026-08-31. Fifteen of the state's 34 rows are shown; the full set runs from Philadelphia down to Bradford.
★★ The pattern: cheap markets moved, the big one did not
Indiana, Meadville and Altoona, all under $176,000, led the state at +8.2%, +7.6% and +6.8%. Pittsburgh, at $232,121, managed +0.2%.
★★ So the state's growth is concentrated in its smallest markets. That is worth two separate warnings. A small metro's percentage change rests on a thin transaction count, so one year is weak evidence. And a market that has just risen 8% is not obviously a better buy than one that has not moved.
★ We are not going to tell you to chase the risers. On a zero-down loan the thing that protects you is a long hold, not a good year.
★ The installation markets
Three of Pennsylvania's installations sit in or near metros in this table:
- ★ Lebanon $322,197, up 5.2%: Fort Indiantown Gap. One of nine counties at zero veteran unemployment.
- ★ Chambersburg $290,668, up 2.1%: Letterkenny Army Depot, in Franklin County, which has the second-lowest nonzero veteran unemployment at 0.79%.
- ★ East Stroudsburg $312,772, up 1.7%: nearest metro to Tobyhanna Army Depot in Monroe County.
★ Carlisle Barracks sits in Cumberland County, inside the Harrisburg metro at $311,782, up 2.9%. Cumberland has the state's lowest veteran unemployment. The county data.
★ What these figures are not
- Not a forecast. One month's typical value and the change through it.
- Not neighbourhood-level. "Philadelphia" spans Chestnut Hill and Kensington.
- Not stable in the small markets. Indiana's 8.2% comes off a small base.
- Not a valuation. On a VA loan the appraisal governs, and the VA appraisal has its own standards.
★ And none of it troubles the loan limit
Every metro here sits far below the $832,750 baseline. Philadelphia, the dearest, is about 47% of it. For a veteran with full entitlement there is no limit at all. Why.
Pittsburgh · Philadelphia · Harrisburg and Carlisle.
Mike Certo, NMLS #260555. (480) 296-6513 · mcerto@cfmtg.com.
Frequently asked questions
Are Pennsylvania home prices rising in 2026?
Almost everywhere. Thirty-three of Pennsylvania's thirty-four metros rose over the year to August 31, 2026, and only Bradford fell, at minus 2.8 percent. The fastest gains were in the cheapest markets: Indiana at plus 8.2 percent, Meadville at 7.6 percent and Altoona at 6.8 percent.What is the most expensive metro in Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia, at a typical home value of $389,523 for the month ending August 31, 2026, narrowly ahead of Lancaster at $387,889 and Allentown at $365,870.Which Pennsylvania metro fell in value?
Bradford, at minus 2.8 percent over the year to August 31, 2026, the only one of the state's thirty-four metros to decline. Its typical value was $112,352.What are the housing markets near Pennsylvania military installations?
Lebanon at $322,197 and up 5.2 percent for Fort Indiantown Gap; Chambersburg at $290,668 and up 2.1 percent for Letterkenny Army Depot; East Stroudsburg at $312,772 and up 1.7 percent as the nearest metro to Tobyhanna Army Depot; and Harrisburg at $311,782 and up 2.9 percent, the metro containing Cumberland County and Carlisle Barracks.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about VA home loan financing, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax or financial advice. Cornerstone First Mortgage is a private lender and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. VA entitlement, funding-fee exemption and disability ratings are determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Pennsylvania Disabled Veterans' Real Estate Tax Exemption is administered by the Pennsylvania State Veterans' Commission through each county Director of Veterans Affairs, not by Cornerstone; its criteria and income thresholds are set by the Commonwealth and change. Figures here carry the date we verified them against primary sources. All loans are subject to borrower, property and program qualification.