Jobs, pay and daily life in Altoona, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Altoona is a city in Pennsylvania with 43,196 residents. The median household earns $51,250 a year and the median rent is $819 a month, which is 19.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Altoona, PA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 58,650 jobs.
How Altoona compares. Among the 100 largest places in Pennsylvania, Altoona is #13 by population, #90 for remote work (#1 = most), #12 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #21 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Blair County, is #37 of 67 counties for average pay ($53,266).
Altoona has 43,196 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Pennsylvania. It covers 10 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 4,412 people per square mile. The median age is 40.4, about the same as the state median (40.4 against 40.9).
The median gross rent is $819 a month (rent plus utilities), 32% below the state median ($819 against $1,209). Over a year that is 19.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $119,900, which is 2.3 times the median household income ($51,250); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 63.9% of households own their home, 8% below the state average (63.9% against 69.3%).
The Altoona, PA metropolitan area has 58,650 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $44,270 a year, 13% below the national median ($44,270 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (6,560 jobs, median $42,860); transportation and material moving (6,260 jobs, median $38,490); sales and related (5,700 jobs, median $30,600). The area is most specialised in transportation and material moving (1.2 times) and sales and related (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($42,860) and transportation and material moving ($38,490). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Blair County was 2.9%. 60.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Blair County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.0% drive alone, 1.3% use public transit, 3.4% walk, 7.0% work from home. 8.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 51% below the state average (8.0% against 16.4%).
20.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42% below the state share (20.5% against 35.2%). 1.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 79% below the state share (1.6% against 7.7%). The poverty rate is 16.6%, 42% above the state rate (16.6% against 11.7%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 26°F (-3.5°C). About 1,046 mm (41 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (106 mm) and Feb the driest (64 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Johnstown (30 miles, rent 21% lower); State College (35 miles, rent 55% higher); Indiana (40 miles, rent 4% higher); Chambersburg (56 miles, rent 34% higher). Rent differences are against Altoona; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Pennsylvania (519) →State guide: PennsylvaniaCountry guideBlair CountyPennsylvania rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 519 federal postings open in Pennsylvania (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Pennsylvania →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,090 | 1.42 | $28,370 | $22,870 | $44,440 | -20% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,800 | 1.24 | $26,090 | $20,210 | $34,540 | -16% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,800 | 1.11 | $27,390 | $23,350 | $37,260 | -23% |
| Cashiers | 1,600 | 1.38 | $27,830 | $21,350 | $33,350 | -15% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,460 | 1.11 | $83,580 | $43,090 | $183,000 | -21% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,400 | 1.31 | $34,190 | $26,010 | $45,350 | -8% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,390 | 1.09 | $82,410 | $63,880 | $102,360 | -16% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,290 | 1.66 | $52,010 | $38,650 | $73,950 | -11% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,240 | 1.33 | $42,460 | $26,450 | $56,690 | -6% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,050 | 0.94 | $36,970 | $29,730 | $47,540 | -8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 880 | 1.02 | $27,630 | $16,140 | $56,420 | -22% |
| Nursing Assistants | 820 | 1.50 | $38,870 | $36,750 | $46,780 | -8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 800 | 0.96 | $33,220 | $24,210 | $44,610 | -10% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 800 | 0.81 | $37,540 | $28,070 | $52,080 | -16% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 700 | 1.73 | $60,770 | $48,790 | $78,260 | -16% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 690 | 1.31 | $36,940 | $21,940 | $50,850 | -17% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 640 | 0.99 | $39,010 | $27,390 | $53,690 | -18% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 640 | 1.11 | $45,280 | $29,820 | $62,330 | -9% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 630 | 1.49 | $42,090 | $28,580 | $69,020 | -13% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 630 | 2.56 | $59,680 | $44,590 | $71,840 | -7% |
These figures are for the whole Altoona, PA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $44,270 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.9% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.6% |
| Retail trade | 13.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.0% |
| Manufacturing | 9.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.0% |
| Construction | 5.5% |
| Other services | 5.2% |
| Public administration | 4.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.6% |
| Information | 1.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Altoona lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blair County | 121,277 | $8,000 million | $65,966 | 58,025 | 3,430 | $53,266 | +0.8% | 2.9% | 57,451 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11,547 | 23.0% | $56,891 | 1.39 |
| Retail trade | 8,025 | 16.0% | $34,976 | 1.38 |
| Manufacturing | 7,133 | 14.2% | $61,912 | 1.50 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,801 | 9.5% | $19,321 | 0.91 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,206 | 6.4% | $65,261 | 1.30 |
| Construction | 2,696 | 5.4% | $62,067 | 0.89 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,063 | 4.1% | $34,916 | 1.18 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,865 | 3.7% | $45,432 | 0.55 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,854 | 3.7% | $64,928 | 0.81 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,744 | 3.5% | $71,547 | 0.43 |
| Management of companies | 1,287 | 2.6% | $120,758 | 1.32 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 915 | 1.8% | $23,456 | 0.94 |
| Finance and insurance | 907 | 1.8% | $79,018 | 0.39 |
| Information | 679 | 1.4% | $55,955 | 0.62 |
| Real estate and rental | 484 | 1.0% | $49,313 | 0.54 |
| Educational services | 441 | 0.9% | $31,532 | 0.37 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 309 | 0.6% | $39,410 | 0.66 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 172 | 0.3% | $97,053 | 0.78 |
| Utilities | 146 | 0.3% | $125,451 | 0.66 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.0% |
| Public transit | 1.3% |
| Walk | 3.4% |
| Work from home | 7.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,250 |
| Income per person | $31,593 |
| Median gross rent per month | $819 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.2% |
| Median home value | $119,900 |
| Homeowners | 63.9% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 89.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $44,270 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.07%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 20.5% |
| Born abroad | 1.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.5 | 26 | 67 |
| Feb | -2.6 | 27 | 64 |
| Mar | 2.5 | 36 | 78 |
| Apr | 9.1 | 48 | 87 |
| May | 15.2 | 59 | 106 |
| Jun | 20.0 | 68 | 103 |
| Jul | 22.8 | 73 | 100 |
| Aug | 22.2 | 72 | 92 |
| Sep | 18.3 | 65 | 103 |
| Oct | 11.0 | 52 | 93 |
| Nov | 4.5 | 40 | 69 |
| Dec | -0.9 | 30 | 84 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnstown | PA | 30 mi | 18,087 | $37,888 | $644 |
| State College | PA | 35 mi | 41,050 | $45,424 | $1,273 |
| Indiana | PA | 40 mi | 14,212 | $40,857 | $849 |
| Chambersburg | PA | 56 mi | 22,319 | $56,576 | $1,099 |
| Greensburg | PA | 62 mi | 14,741 | $64,914 | $839 |
| Cumberland | MD | 62 mi | 18,804 | $48,162 | $741 |
| St. Marys | PA | 66 mi | 12,529 | $67,167 | $762 |
| Murrysville | PA | 66 mi | 20,817 | $121,823 | $1,587 |
| Carlisle | PA | 67 mi | 21,852 | $61,720 | $1,094 |
| Waynesboro | PA | 68 mi | 11,047 | $66,956 | $1,086 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
43,196 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$819 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.2% of the median household income.
$51,250 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.9% (BLS county, Blair County (latest month 2026M09)).
Pennsylvania. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.