Phoenix, AZ vs Erie, PA
Moving from Phoenix to Erie? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($448,352 → $224,109 median home) and taxes.
Phoenix vs Erie at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ, you'd need about $87,834 in Erie, PA (−$12,166).
Livability — Phoenix, AZ: 62 · Erie, PA: 71 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,063 sqft in Phoenix vs 3,903 sqft in Erie ($242 vs $128 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Phoenix, AZ | Erie, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $20,904 | $13,656 | −$7,248 |
| Groceries | $4,919 | $4,915 | −$4 |
| Transportation | $3,960 | $3,440 | −$520 |
| Utilities | $1,668 | $2,316 | +$648 |
| Insurance | $1,800 | $1,200 | −$600 |
| Taxes | $7,280 | $8,027 | +$747 |
| Total | $40,531 | $33,554 | −$6,977 |
Side by side
| Metric | Phoenix, AZ | Erie, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 104.7 | 91.9 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.88% | 5.47% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 6.7% | -2.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 86 | 38 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.96 | $5.23 |
| Median home price | $448,352 | $224,109 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.6× | 3.8× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | -1.7% | 5.9% |
| Price per square foot | $242 | $128 |
| Median rent | $1,742 | $1,138 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.5% | 10.6% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.38% | 6.34% |
| Capital gains tax | 2.50% | 3.07% |
| Property tax rate | 0.51% | 1.71% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $7,000 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $12,500 | $12,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.68% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 27 | 20 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,800 | $1,200 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $1,600 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $550 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.5 | 21.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.60 | 3.55 |
| Violent crime /100k | 430 | 390 |
| Avg summer high °F | 104 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 41 | 22 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 3 |
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