8 Best Places To Call Home In Pennsylvania In 2025
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania offers an endless list of reasons why you should consider settling down in the state. It is relatively cheap in comparison to most of its Northeastern neighbors and boasts a rich mix of history and culture. Furthermore, it is proximal to major urban hubs on the East Coast, including New York and Washington, DC, and provides various lifestyle options in line with your preferences. Whether you want to live in a bustling city, a laid-back suburb, or a sleepy rural village, there is enough to go around for everyone.
More importantly, the small towns in the Keystone State prove to be the best fit for many with their winning mix of affordability, easy access to outdoor recreation, and provision of vital social amenities. If you are planning a fresh start but still unsure how to go about it, here are possible considerations for some of the best places to call home in Pennsylvania in 2025.
Brentwood
This bedroom community in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area offers a lovely balance of easygoing suburban feel and readily accessible city comforts. It has several green spaces for those who enjoy natural surroundings, including the well-maintained Brentwood Park. This park features amenities like walking trails, picnic spaces, and sports fields, serving as a popular public meeting area. The Brentwood Towne Square is the local shopping center, guaranteeing residents their daily supply of groceries and other necessities across multiple retail stores, such as Dollar Tree and Giant Eagle.
Furthermore, the Brentwood Library is a vital public resource where townsfolk can seek useful information across diverse subjects. Thanks to AHN Brentwood Neighborhood Hospital, medical care is promptly accessible, with the option for additional services in Pittsburgh, just 15 minutes away. Finally, a home in Brentwood has a median listing price of $192,600, which is cheaper than Pennsylvania's average home value of approximately $286,000.
Grove City
This quaint borough in Mercer County enjoys a strong sense of community, making it the perfect landing spot for young families. Grove City offers many opportunities for residents to come together and enjoy gracious moments, including touring Keystone Safari. This popular local attraction is always jostling with young and adult residents alike as they feed and pet gentle wild species, like giraffes and reindeer. You will find townsfolk rallying behind the Grove City College football team at the Robert E. Thorn Field in a show of unison and community pride, while taking advantage of an electric stadium atmosphere.
Elsewhere, Grove City Premium Outlets presents everyone with a modern shopping opportunity across its over 100 brand-name stores, featuring retailers like Michael Kors, Under Armour, and Vera Bradley. Lastly, Grove City harbors vital social amenities, including the Grove City Senior Community Center and AHN Grove City, despite a manageable median listing home price of $255,000.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is an unassuming village in Allegheny County, set along the east bank of the Monongahela River. It boasts an unrivaled rural feel and easygoing pace, providing access to idyllic natural spaces like Round Hill Park. This 1,000-acre sanctuary is a go-to for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders, who can use the opportunity to admire plants, birds, and domesticated animals. Entertaining live shows at the Grand Theater allows residents to come together and connect with the arts in an intimate and welcoming venue as they support budding local talent.
Meanwhile, friends and family can gather inside Molnar's Lounge & Restaurant after a long day to catch up over a giant fish sandwich or a refreshing pint of craft beer. Thanks to the Elizabeth Area Senior Center, retirees are properly cared for in a town whose median listing home price is $181,500.
Gallitzin
Gallitzin lures new residents with the perfect combination of rural charm and affordable cost of living. With a median listing home price of $143,000, it is one of the cheapest places to call home in Pennsylvania in 2025. Newcomers who wish to learn the community's heritage can tour the Allegheny Portage Railroad Site, where interactive exhibits chronicle the story of the first railroad ever built through the Allegheny Mountains. The Gallitzin Tunnels Park provides a unique perspective of how the tunnels were built and the effect they had on easing local transportation.
Residents can take advantage of family-friendly fun at High Rollers Bowling Center to enjoy moments with loved ones during an easygoing bowling session. For healthcare, nearby hospitals like UPMC Altoona are only a short drive away.
Scottdale
This peaceful and family-friendly village, situated about 45 miles outside Pittsburgh, features a wide variety of local attractions that keep residents entertained. The landmark Geyer Performing Arts Center connects the community with the arts by constantly staging captivating theatrical productions by homegrown performers, including musicals, plays, and kids' shows. History enthusiasts can tour the West Overton Village for a rich lesson about the American Industrial Revolution with a focus on whiskey production in Pennsylvania.
Furthermore, outdoorsy residents prefer to relax on the grassy grounds of Chestnut Street Park and be one with nature in a tranquil atmosphere. Various care programs by the Scottdale Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center ensure senior citizens receive needed support to maintain a dignified lifestyle. Meanwhile, the town's median listing home price is $179,500.
Ashland
Founded in 1857, Ashland is steeped in railway and coal mining heritage, with many historical markers to remind residents of its heydays, an hour from Harrisburg. The town is home to the Museum of Anthracite Mining, where elaborate relics and memorabilia recount life in the mines, factories, and mills at the height of the 19th-century mining boom. However, you can get a more hands-on experience with the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train tour, which offers a 30-minute excursion into a former mine to grant passengers an authentic feel for the mining process.
Outdoor recreation is readily available at Higher Ups Park, which provides a kids' playground, picnic benches, and stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains. St. Luke's Ashland Family Practice offers reliable health care, and potential homeowners can buy a new property at a median listing home price of around $125,500.
Tyrone
Tyrone is an easygoing borough along the Little Juniata River banks that offers residents a slow pace of life, affordability, and plenty of outdoor recreation. Its beautiful natural surroundings harbor treasures like the Tytoona Cave Nature Preserve Area. This mile-long cave features isolated passageways that hikers can explore while making the most of photo opportunities. The Gray Veterans Memorial Field is a popular gathering spot for the community and demonstrates a mutual love for sports among townsfolk every time there is a game.
Tyrone's delightful history is preserved and interpreted by the Tyrone Area Historical Society and Museum using a vast collection of related artifacts, documents, and memorabilia. Penn Highlands Tyrone helps to keep the community healthy through the provision of vital medical services, while the area's median listing home price is $142,900.
Derry
Derry promises incoming residents abundant room for their outdoor recreation, thanks to a rich network of parks and green areas. Those who find favor in the great outdoors can access a 1,200-acre playground at Keystone State Park, where an expansive wilderness cultivates adventures like mountaineering, biking, camping, hiking, angling, and picnicking. The smaller and more accessible Derry Community Park provides an alternative for family day outs, offering gentle walking paths and lush picnic areas.
Derry is about 40 miles from Pittsburgh and once served as a terminal for the city's commuter trains. Today, you can visit the Derry Station Railroad Heritage Park to learn about its railway history. Also, the annual Derry Railroad Days festival enhances a sense of camaraderie in the community as the young and old bond together to honor their heritage. Lastly, homes in the town have a median listing price of $174,900.
Whether a fresh pensioner seeking to plant down retirement roots or a fresh graduate looking to establish themselves, the best places to call home in Pennsylvania in 2025 promise an improved quality of life in the United States. They provide the ideal rural feel to shield you from the craziness of the big cities like Philadelphia without locking you out of vital urban amenities. Depending on the kind of lifestyle you envision, there is something to meet most, if not all, of your preferences without draining your pockets.
