Metropolitan Area

Harrisburg, PA

Pennsylvania0
62
/100
Buy
#453 of 894 metros
Top 51% nationally for investing

Market Snapshot

$312,126
Median Home Price
23% above national median
$1,487/mo
Median Rent
7% above national median
5.72%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Top 54% nationally
-$670
Est. Monthly Cash Flow
With 20% down at 6.9% rate

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Stored observations from 2016-07-31 to 2026-06-29. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI. Missing rents are shown as gaps.

Quick Investment Calculator

20%
5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$312,126
Down Payment (20%)$62,425
Loan Amount$249,701
Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,487
Monthly P&I-$1,636
Est. Expenses (35%)-$520
Net Cash Flow-$670/mo
3.7%
Cap Rate (all cash)
-11.2%
Cash-on-Cash Return
5.72%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 3.7% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.

Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score
62/100
62
Cash Flow(30%)
56/100

Based on 5.72% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)
82/100

Based on 4.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)
50/100

Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.

Affordability(20%)
63/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.

Investment Outlook

Strengths

  • +Low unemployment (0.0%)

Challenges

  • -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$670/mo)
  • -Negative leverage (cap rate 3.7% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Counties in Harrisburg, PA

County data is being compiled for this metro area.

Section 8 in Harrisburg, PA: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.

Compare to Similar Metros

Metro AreaVerdict
Ogdensburg, NY
Ogdensburg, NY
82$144,973$1,1699.67%Strong BuyView
Centralia, IL
Centralia, IL
82$123,413Est.Strong BuyView
McAlester, OK
McAlester, OK
82$151,079$1,1909.45%Strong BuyView
Snyder, TX
Snyder, TX
82$150,206$1,30010.39%Strong BuyView
Abilene, TX
Abilene, TX
82$217,009$1,82710.10%Strong BuyView
Current
Harrisburg, PA
62$312,126$1,4875.72%Buy

The Bottom Line

BuyHarrisburg, PA offers solid investment potential with good cash flow or appreciation prospects.

The Harrisburg, PA metro area scores 62/100, ranking #453 of 894 US metros (top 51%). The 5.72% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.

Monthly Cash Flow
$-670/mo
Cap Rate
3.7%
Cash-on-Cash
-12.9%

Ready to Invest in Harrisburg, PA?

Use our investment calculators to run detailed numbers on specific properties, or explore individual counties for more targeted opportunities.