Places › Pennsylvania › Susquehanna

Living in Susquehanna, PA

Small city in Pennsylvania

Susquehanna is a small city in Pennsylvania, home to about 27,000 people, with 559,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Susquehanna a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $202k and rents for $1,920 a month
  • Strong healthcare: 8 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Mild summers: highs around 83°F
  • Dog-friendly: 10 dog parks within 9 mi

👎 Cons

  • Cloudier than most places
  • Smaller job market: about 559,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Weaker public schools: test results below the US average

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Susquehanna ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
27,000
559,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
39°F / 83°F
Average daily highs · 24″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$202k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,920/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
99
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,376
State income tax per resident · 1.68% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
8 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding
Top-rated hospitals
8
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Below average
Tests below US average · 13 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
42%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
BWI
79 mi away

Living in Susquehanna: common questions

What is the cost of living in Susquehanna?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $202k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,920 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 99, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Susquehanna?

Pennsylvania collects about $1,376 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.68% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Susquehanna safe?

Susquehanna isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

How are the schools in Susquehanna?

Public schools in Susquehanna test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Susquehanna?

Susquehanna has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 83°F, with roughly 24″ of snow a year.

Does Susquehanna get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.37 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Susquehanna?

The nearest major airport is BWI, about 79 mi away.

How Susquehanna scores

Each bar compares Susquehanna with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban & suburban mix Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceRelaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesAverage
💼Job marketBelow average
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsBelow average
🎓EducationBelow average
🧸Kids & familyBelow average
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsGood
🎭CultureAverage
👮SafetyNo crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportGood

Places like Susquehanna

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Lower Paxton, PASmall city60 $311k$1,920/moNo crime data Swatara, PASmall city55 $235k$1,920/moSafe Fairborn, OHSmall city63 $202k$1,650/moVery safe Winchester, VASmall city56 $369k$1,970/moSafe Delta, MISmall city57 $276k$1,630/moNo crime data Goshen, INSmall city53 $275k$1,550/moNo crime data

Nearby

Harrisburg, PASmall city · 3 mi away50 $264k$1,920/moHigher crime Lower Paxton, PASmall city · 4 mi away60 $311k$1,920/moNo crime data Swatara, PASmall city · 6 mi away55 $235k$1,920/moSafe Hampden, PASmall city · 7 mi away67 $392k$1,920/moNo crime data Lebanon, PASmall city · 24 mi away48 $283k$1,800/moVery safe Springettsbury, PASmall city · 25 mi away63 $274k$1,800/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in Pennsylvania.

Is Susquehanna right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.