Metropolitan Area

State College, PA

Pennsylvania0
60
/100
Buy
#519 of 894 metros
Top 58% nationally for investing

Market Snapshot

$353,680
Median Home Price
39% above national median
$1,796/mo
Median Rent
30% above national median
6.09%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Top 44% nationally
-$687
Est. Monthly Cash Flow
With 20% down at 6.9% rate

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Trend based on YoY growth rate. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI

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20%
5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$353,680
Down Payment (20%)$70,736
Loan Amount$282,944
Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,796
Monthly P&I-$1,854
Est. Expenses (35%)-$628
Net Cash Flow-$686/mo
4.0%
Cap Rate (all cash)
-10.1%
Cash-on-Cash Return
6.09%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 4.0% 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.

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Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score
60/100
60
Cash Flow(30%)
61/100

Based on 6.09% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)
75/100

Based on 2.0% 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%)
54/100

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 (-$687/mo)
  • -Negative leverage (cap rate 4.0% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Counties in State College, PA

County data is being compiled for this metro area.

Compare to Similar Metros

Metro AreaVerdict
Decatur, IL
Decatur, IL
80$126,931$9288.77%Strong BuyView
Corning, NY
Corning, NY
80$171,646$1,2939.04%Strong BuyView
Guymon, OK
Guymon, OK
80$168,571Est.Strong BuyView
Union City, TN
Union City, TN
80$166,036Est.Strong BuyView
Orangeburg, SC
Orangeburg, SC
80$163,772$1,3209.67%Strong BuyView
Current
State College, PA
60$353,680$1,7966.09%Buy

Rent vs buy in this metro

Rent vs buy in State College, PAMedian $336,145 · rent $1,829/mo

The Bottom Line

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

The State College, PA metro area scores 60/100, ranking #519 of 894 US metros (top 58%). The 6.09% rent-to-price ratio indicates moderate cash flow potential. 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
$-687/mo
Cap Rate
4.0%
Cash-on-Cash
-11.7%

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