Altoona is a mid-sized city located in the state of Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 45,209 residents. In Altoona, there are 4,618 people per square mile, which is well above the national population density average. The majority of Altoona residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Black and Asian.
Are you trying to decide if living in Altoona is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a fulfilling experience before relocating to any new city in Pennsylvania, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. With useful information like amenities, crime, cost of living, weather, housing and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Altoona and in the areas around Altoona is a much easier task.
With a livability score of 71/100, Altoona is ranked #9,242 in the United States and #802 in Pennsylvania. If we dig a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Altoona has higher than average scores for the following: amenities (A+) and cost of living (B+). The bad news for Altoona, there are some categories for which it does not score well, this includes: weather (D), employment (D-) and housing (F).
Conveniently located amenities and interesting attractions are a great way to continuously enjoy Altoona on a regular basis. Knowing that there are an abundance of amenities and things to do can ensure that you always have access to nearby grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops. Some of the notable things to do include: Lakemont Park, Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark, and Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum.
Altoona real estate prices and overall affordability will play a huge role in determining if the area is the right fit for you. Of course there are probably some other items on your “wish list”, but even before they are considered, let’s take a look at the home prices and affordability in Altoona. The median home price for Altoona homes is $85,400, which is 49.1% lower than the Pennsylvania average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Altoona, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.3, which is 25.8% lower than the Pennsylvania average. Knowing if your home will appreciate on a long term or even a short term basis should be factored into your decision making. An increase in your home’s value can be a good way to generate tax-free equity that can create long term financial security. In the past year, appreciation rates for homes in the Altoona area were 6.4% and 5 year appreciation rates were 2.3%.
| Statistic | Altoona | Pennsylvania | National |
| Average one way commute | 17min | 26min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 81.1% | 76.5% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 9.9% | 8.5% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 1.3% | 5.6% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 3.5% | 3.8% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 1.7% | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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