Want to live and work in Pennsylvania?

The cost of living in Pennsylvania varies widely. Philadelphia has intermediate rents for the Northeast: a 1-bedroom apartment downtown runs between US$ 1,500 and US$ 2,200. Neighborhoods like Center City and Rittenhouse are the most expensive; West Philadelphia, Fishtown, and Northern Liberties have more affordable options.

Pittsburgh is considerably more affordable. A 1-bedroom rent runs between US$ 1,000 and US$ 1,500. Homes for purchase are accessible: 3-bedroom properties in good neighborhoods start at US$ 250,000. Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown, and Erie have similar prices. Small towns in the interior are very inexpensive.

Groceries and restaurants are close to the national average. A meal at a popular restaurant runs US$ 13 to US$ 20. The state income tax is low (3.07%, one of the lowest in the U.S.), but Philadelphia has an additional city tax. Families can live comfortably earning US$ 70,000 in Pittsburgh or US$ 90,000 in Philadelphia.

Healthcare is Pennsylvania's largest employer. UPMC (Pittsburgh) and Penn Medicine (Philadelphia) rank among the largest hospital systems in the U.S., with dozens of hospitals and cutting-edge research. Physicians, nurses, technicians, and researchers find a broad market here.

The pharmaceutical industry is strong in the so-called Pharma Belt between Philadelphia and New Jersey. Companies such as GSK, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and numerous biotechs maintain major operations. Philadelphia also has a hub of banks (Vanguard, Independence Blue Cross) and law firms. Comcast, the telecommunications giant, is headquartered in the city.

Pittsburgh reinvented itself around technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence, thanks to Carnegie Mellon. Google, Uber (autonomous vehicle center), Apple, and Microsoft all have offices there. Industrial manufacturing, energy (shale natural gas in the region), and logistics round out the picture. Higher education employs large numbers across both metropolitan areas.

Pennsylvania's healthcare system follows the U.S. standard: private by default. Those with formal employment receive insurance as a benefit; those without buy coverage on the federal Marketplace with subsidies. Low-income residents qualify for Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (local Medicaid).

Hospital quality is excellent. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) rank among the best in the U.S. CHOP is frequently listed as the best pediatric hospital in the country. In Pittsburgh, UPMC has dozens of locations and is a reference for transplants and oncology.

Philadelphia attracts patients from around the world for complex treatments. Costs without insurance are high: a basic visit runs US$ 200 to US$ 400, and an emergency room visit can exceed US$ 3,000. Patients with coverage, however, find excellent care. In rural areas and small towns, access is limited, and patients may travel to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh for serious cases.

Philadelphia has the second-best public transit system on the East Coast after New York City. SEPTA operates the subway, buses, trolleys, and regional rail lines connecting the city to the suburbs and the Main Line. Lines like the Broad Street and Market-Frankford run well. Amtrak connects Philadelphia at high speed to New York, Washington, and Boston.

Pittsburgh has the Port Authority with buses and a small light rail network (the T) serving downtown and some suburbs. The hilly geography, with valleys and rivers, makes public transit more complicated. Outside these two cities, a car is necessary. Major roads include I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike, east-west) and I-95 (running through Philadelphia).

The main airports are PHL (Philadelphia International) and PIT (Pittsburgh International). PHL has direct flights to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Mexico City, Tokyo, and many other cities. PIT has flights to London, Reykjavik, and numerous American cities. Harrisburg (MDT), Allentown (ABE), and Erie (ERI) have smaller regional airports.

American history is everywhere. In Philadelphia, you can visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell, a symbol of American freedom. Independence National Historical Park gathers the main monuments. The city also has the Museum of Art with the famous steps from the film Rocky.

Pittsburgh takes pride in its industrial history. The Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL football), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL hockey), and Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB baseball) have passionate fan bases. In Philadelphia, the Eagles (NFL), 76ers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), and Phillies (MLB) move the whole city. Philadelphia fans have a reputation for being among the loudest and most demanding in the U.S.

Lancaster County, with its Amish culture, is a must-visit stop. Horse-drawn carriages, electricity-free farms, and farmers' markets take visitors back in time. The food culture is famous for the Philly cheesesteak (thinly sliced beef and melted cheese in a hoagie roll), soft pretzels, Hershey's chocolate (the factory is in Hershey), and Pennsylvania Dutch dishes.

Pennsylvania has about 900,000 foreign-born residents, close to 7% of the population. The largest communities come from India, China, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, and South Korea. Philadelphia holds most of them: South Philly hosts the Italian Market that today is a Mexican hub, the Northeast has a Caribbean and Brazilian community in Olney, and Chinatown remains active downtown. South Philly also concentrates Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Indonesian communities. Pittsburgh receives immigrants tied to hospitals and universities, especially Indians, Chinese, and Nepalis. Allentown and the Lehigh Valley have a strong Dominican and Puerto Rican presence. Lancaster is a reference point for resettling Bhutanese, Syrian, and Congolese refugees.

Philadelphia hosts consulates-general of Mexico, Italy, the Dominican Republic, and several other countries, with India, China, and Vietnam served from New York or Washington. The support network is led by the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC), HIAS Pennsylvania, Nationalities Service Center, Esperanza Immigration Legal Services, and the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians. In Pittsburgh, Casa San José serves the Latino community, and in Lancaster, Church World Service handles refugee resettlement.