Rents are 3% below what Johnstown's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $896 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
June. Asking rents in Johnstown usually run 0.8% below trend in June and 0.8% above it in March, about $14 a month apart at today's median. Based on 8 years of data.
Rent in Johnstown is 1.3% below its high of $908 in May 2026, at $896 as of September 2026.
Rent in Johnstown changed +3.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 114 Pennsylvania cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.6%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Johnstown rose 36.2% while median household income rose 54.3% ($24,561 to $37,888). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Johnstown is 45.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($37,888) is $947 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($910); a 3-bedroom is $1,220.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Johnstown. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Johnstown, PA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income below the national average, 15.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Johnstown, PA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Johnstown, PA has climbed 34.3% since 2021, going from about $667 per month to roughly $896 today. Household income in the area moved from $31,200 to $37,888 across the same window, up 21.4% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 12.9 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 18,647 to 18,087 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.0% change. About 44.8% of households rent today, against 48.9% in 2021. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Johnstown, PA look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
Discussions about Johnstown
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At $896/mo, how Johnstown rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Johnstown rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Johnstown. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Johnstown
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Johnstown is $896/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $730/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $910/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $730/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,220/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($37,888/yr), Johnstown ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Johnstown rent compare to other cities in Pennsylvania?
At $896/mo, rent takes ~28% of Johnstown's median household income ($37,888/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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