Pennsylvania has a rich history. In many ways, it was simply the first among the other states. It was right here where the Americans published the first newspaper, and built the first sugar factory. They also opened the first bank, the first university, and the first social hospital. Finally, the inventor John Fitch launched the first steamboat right there in Pennsylvania! This state attracts many people, both from the USA and other countries. They hire one of the moving companies in PA and start their new life there. But, what are the reasons of moving there? And what are the top Pennsylvania cities for starting a new life?
Of course, you have heard about Philadelphia (Rocky Balboa, everybody!) and Pittsburgh (the famous Steelers). They definitely are the most popular. People usually just want to go for a sightseeing immediately after moving. Storage units Pittsburgh can help you with that. Simply leave your stuff in one of them and go explore your new city. But, what if you don’t like such big cities, and you still want to move to that state? So, we made a list of top Pennsylvania cities for your new home. Take a look, maybe it will help you find your new home.
Reasons for moving to Pennsylvania
Before we present you our top Pennsylvania cities list, we’d like to tell you about the advantages of living there. Well, at least we consider them advantages. Take a look and see if they are the reason good enough for you to come to PA permanently. After all, you don’t want to make a mistake in such an important matter.
Climate
The climate in most parts of the state is humid continental, with hot and humid summer and fairly cool winter. The far southeast of Pennsylvania has subtropical oceanic climate with milder winters. The average temperature in January ranges from 26°F to 40°F, and in July from 69°F to 87°F.
Economy
The GDP of Pennsylvania is $719.8 billion – 6th in the US, which is comparable to the GDP of Switzerland. On the territory of the state are the headquarters of the largest companies from the Fortune 500 list.
Work
It is a bit hard to get a highly paid job, since there’s a high percentage of graduates of prestigious universities with high grades. But, if you have a degree and a lot of experience, that shouldn’t be the problem for you. And if you have children, good universities can also be one of the good reasons to go there. Also, professions that don’t require special experience, such as nannies, loaders, governesses, etc., are in demand. In general, comparing with other states, Pennsylvania has lower unemployment rates (4.70% for December 2017).
Real estate
Real estate prices are lower than in New York or Washington. The average cost of medium-sized housing is around $220 thousand. Cheap housing will on average cost somewhere around $50 thousand.
List of top Pennsylvania cities
1. Philadelphia
In 1790 Pennsylvania was the first among the North American states to pass a law on the liberation of slaves. Since then, the motto of the state is Virtue, Liberty and Independence, and its unofficial name – “State of Independence.” The acquisition of an unofficial status, first of all, is connected with its largest city – Philadelphia. It was Philadelphia where the Founding Fathers created and signed the famous Declaration of Independence.
Philadelphia in general is often called a cultural and scientific center. Perhaps such an opinion is, indeed, justified. The city has a large number of museums, as well as universities, colleges and technical institutes.
2. Pittsburgh
Another major city of the state is Pittsburgh. It has its own university, which is among the ten largest in the United States. Pittsburgh is known as the American Venice. This is all because there are 445 bridges on its territory, which puts it on third place in the world.
In Pittsburgh are the headquarters of a giant company for the production of ketchup, Heinz. In general, Pittsburgh used to be the capital of the American steel industry. Pittsburgh steel was so good that on the market even existed the Pittsburgh Standard for this high-quality steel. In the 70-80s the city lost its positions in the process of restructuring. But now the city is in a fairly good economic state and has many large corporations and companies.
3. Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a city in the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. In July 2006, Money magazine placed Bethlehem in 88th place in Top 100 Best Places to Live. If you don’t like the noise and crowd of the big cities, then Bethlehem is the right choice for you. It is not far from Philadelphia, and also from New York and New Jersey Shore. In 2013, the Business Journals organization ranked Bethlehem as the 58th best place for young adults to live.
Bethlehem has prestigious schools such as Lehigh University, Moravian College, and one of the best community colleges in the country – Northampton Area Community College. There is also one of the best hospitals in the USA, which hires hundreds of residents every year.
4. Lancaster
The city of Lancaster is in the southern part of Pennsylvania, only 34 miles from Philadelphia. It is one of the oldest inland towns in the United States. If you are looking for a good college city, then you should consider Lancaster as your new home. It has a lot of good universities, such as Franklin and Marshall College, Lebanon Valley College, Penn State Harrisburg. In Lancaster you can also find the famous Fulton Theater, the oldest continuously operating theater.
That was our list of top Pennsylvania cities. Maybe you have some other criteria, but these four cities should definitely be taken into consideration. Whatever you decide, Pennsylvania will gladly welcome you.