6 Reasons You Need at Least $665K (Plus Social Security) To Retire in Pennsylvania
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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Where you choose to live is the single biggest factor in how much money you can expect to spend on housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, transportation and other common budget items. This is true whether you are working or retired.
In retirement, however, location takes on even greater importance because most retirees live on a fixed income that’s no longer bolstered by work raises or bonuses. If you choose to retire in Pennsylvania, you can expect to spend near the national average on living costs.
Pennsylvania landed right in the middle of the pack nationally — No. 25 out of 50 states — in a cost of living study conducted by GOBankingRates. The study determined the annual expenditure cost for a retired person in each state by analyzing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
According to the GBR study, you need a minimum of $664,894 — including Social Security benefits — to retire comfortably in Pennsylvania for 20 years. That’s below the national average of $725,025, though the average skews much higher due to extremely high costs in states like Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York and Alaska. Retirees in Pennsylvania need at least $831,118 for 25 years of retirement and just less than $1 million for 30 years of retirement.
Because Pennsylvania landed in the middle, its retirement costs can serve as a median for the entire country. In some spending categories, its costs are higher than average, while in others, its costs are lower.
According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s data series, the Keystone State had a cost of living index score of 94.8 as of the 2023 third quarter. That number rose slightly to 95.6 during the 2024 first quarter. Any score below 100 indicates that living costs are lower than the national average, while any score above 100 means living costs are higher than average.
If you are considering retiring in Pennsylvania, here are six reasons you’ll need a minimum of $665,000 to retire there for 20 years.
- Overall living costs: You can expect to spend $54,811.46 a year on overall cost of living expenditures in Pennsylvania, which is below the national average of $57,818. When you back out Social Security income, the average total expenses in Pennsylvania are $33,244.70. You’ll need to cover these costs with retirement savings or side gigs.
- Housing costs: Pennsylvania has a housing cost of living index score of 82.1, meaning you’ll spend much less on rent or home purchases here than in much of the country. Its annual cost of housing averages $9,559.13 vs. the U.S. average of $11,692.
- Utilities cost: This is one of the categories where you can expect to spend more than the national average if you retire in Pennsylvania, partly because of its cold winters. The Keystone State has a utility index score of 106.6 and an average utility cost of $4,515.58 per year versus the national average of $4,236.
- Grocery cost: By retiring in Pennsylvania, you can expect to spend a little less than average on groceries. Its yearly cost of groceries averages $4,715.45 compared with the national average of $4,797.
- Healthcare costs: Healthcare expenses are a major budget item in retirement, and you’ll likely save money by retiring in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State’s healthcare index score is 92.3, with average annual expenditures of $6,959.42. That’s nearly $600 less than the national average of $7,540.
- Transportation costs: The cost of getting around in Pennsylvania is slightly higher than the national average, with an index score of 104.1. Its average annual cost of transportation is $5,145.66 vs. the national average of $4,943.
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