Harrisburg ranked 25th best place to live by U.S. News

With a metro population of 555,154, the Harrisburg area was recently ranked the 25th best place to live in the country, according to U.S. News.

Harrisburg’s scorecard averaged a 6.8 overall, scoring a 6 in desirability, a 7.5 in value, a 7 in the job market, a 6.8 in the quality of life and 6 in net migration.

Thanks to an “exceeding affordable” housing market, along with a cost of living that’s significantly below the national average, residents most likely have more expendable income The housing costs this year for Harrisburg came in at $81,500, compared to the national average of $218,867. The average monthly rent is $850.

Unemployment is also low, coming in at 3.5 percent, well below the national average. Many area residents are employed by the government, both state and federal. The report also stated that the health care and technology industries have positively affected the job market thanks to the hiring of local workers for service-related careers. The education, trucking and nursing industries have also seen job growth in the area. The average salary for a resident is $45,790.

Additionally, Harrisburg has a lower crime rate than similarly-sized cities. Per 100,000 people, 237.9 crimes are committed. In Oklahoma, Tulsa, a similarly-sized city, has a rate of 461 crimes per 100,000 people.

Ninety-one percent of residents commute to work via car, which is higher than the national average. Three percent walk to work and zero percent bike, which is also comparable to the national average. However, only 2 percent commute via public transit, which is lower than the national average.

“The downtown area is extremely pedestrian-friendly. Many points of interest in the area – including the restaurants, retail stores and riverfront attractions – are within easy walking distance of one another,” stated the report.

Additionally, Harrisburg has a transportation center that offers rides on buses or Amtrak trains to many major cities. New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. are close enough to catch a train or bus or drive. Harrisburg also is home to a small airport.

The population in Harrisburg is  younger, more than 15 percent of residents are aged 25 to 34. Nearly a quarter of residents 15 and older have never been married. Younger residents are more apt to live downtown or in midtown to be close to the action. However, families and older couples are more likely to move to the suburbs surrounding Harrisburg, such as Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg or Hershey. Around two-thirds of Harrisburg are considered family households, and 41 percent of that number include children under 18. The median age is 40 years old, according to the report.