Pennsylvania
#32of 5151C+
Above: Ohio (51). Below: North Dakota (50).
Starting up
How many businesses get founded here, and what the state takes in tax.
30-25 vs median
- Business applications per 1,000 residents1.114 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- State tax collected per resident$4,32346 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections
Population health
One comparable public-health read, asked the same way of every state.
55+5 vs median
- Adult obesity, 202434.2%47 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
- Firearm-injury deaths per 100,000 (crude)12.562 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC NCIPC, CDC NCIPC 2024
Productive base
Output per worker and how much of the job base is manufacturing.
51+0 vs median
- Output per worker$158,84538 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Manufacturing share of jobs9.0%63 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Labour market
How tight the market is, and which way it moved last month.
36-13 vs median
- Unemployment rate3.9%50 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment change, latest month-0.12%22 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Prosperity
What the average person in the state actually earns.
59+7 vs median
- Per-capita personal income$74,23158 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher36.4%60 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year
Things get built
Housing authorised per worker — a direct read on whether projects clear.
26-32 vs median
- Housing units authorised per 1,000 workers0.412 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- House price index (FHFA)733.240 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsFederal Housing Finance Agency
Fiscal standing
What the bond market thinks of the state as a counterparty.
76-16 vs median
- General-obligation ratingAa3 · Stable76 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsMoody's, indicative 2025
Openness
Whether you can get an answer out of the state without telephoning it.
71+20 vs median
- Open-data portal answers an APIYes · data.pa.gov100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09
- Incentive, permit & finance datasets158 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA discovery, 2026-09
- Government or agency newsroom feeds254 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09