Rents are 4% below what State College'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 $2,022 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
February. Asking rents in State College usually run 1.2% below trend in February and 0.7% above it in June, about $38 a month apart at today's median. Based on 6 years of data.
Rent in State College is 0.7% below its high of $2,037 in June 2026, at $2,022 as of September 2026.
Rent in State College changed +2.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 114 Pennsylvania cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.6%.
Rent has fallen 3 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($45,424) is $1,136 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($1,355).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for State College. 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
State College, PA is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 68.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How State College, PA has changed in 5 years
Rent in State College, PA has climbed 30.8% since 2021, going from about $1,546 per month to roughly $2,022 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $43,015 in 2021 to $45,424 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 25.2 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 40,352 to 41,050 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.7% change. About 73.9% of households rent today, against 71.2% in 2021. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the State College, PA market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in State College on your salary?
At $2,022/mo, how State College rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
State College rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in State College. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in State College
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in State College is $2,022/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,355/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,580/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,360/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,925/mo.
At 53% of local median household income ($45,424/yr), State College ranks as expensive compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does State College rent compare to other cities in Pennsylvania?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than State College?
At $2,022/mo, rent takes ~53% of State College's median household income ($45,424/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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