Department of Numbers

Erie County Pennsylvania Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Erie County PA was $756 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Erie County was $745 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Erie County median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Erie County rental vacancy rates, Erie County rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Erie County.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Erie County Pennsylvania (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
Pennsylvania Median Gross Rent $951 +0.74% +3.03%
Erie County PA Median Gross Rent $756 -2.45% +2.72%

Erie County PA Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Erie County peaked in real terms in 2018 at $775 and is now $19 (2.45%) lower. Average gross rent for Erie County peaked in real terms in 2018 at $785 and is now $40 (5.10%) lower.

Real Gross Rent: Erie County PA Median, Erie County PA Average, Pennsylvania Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Erie County

Date US
Median
Pennsylvania
Median
Erie County PA
Median
Erie County PA
Average
2019 $1,097 $951 $756 $745
2018 $1,077 $944 $775 $785
2017 $1,043 $921 $741 $765
2016 $1,027 $923 $736 $749
2015 $1,017 $921 $744 $777
2014 $986 $895 $733 $735
2013 $953 $872 $734 $723
2012 $940 $849 $698 $738
2011 $941 $849 $677 $705
2010 $955 $853 $700 $708
2009 $960 $841 $663 $655

more history ...

Erie County Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Erie County Pennsylvania was 5.19% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Erie County Pennsylvania

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
Pennsylvania 4.87% -0.42% -0.90%
Erie County PA 5.19% -3.30% -1.88%

Trends in Erie County PA Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Erie County peaked in 2007 at 10.98%. Since then it has fallen by 5.79% to 5.19%. Data records for this series originated in 2005.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Erie County PA, Pennsylvania, US

Rental vacancy rate in Pennsylvania

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Erie County

Date US Pennsylvania Erie County PA
2019 5.97% 4.87% 5.19%
2018 6.15% 5.29% 8.49%
2017 6.18% 5.84% 9.01%
2016 5.89% 5.77% 7.07%
2015 5.85% 5.77% 7.11%
2014 6.32% 6.40% 8.04%
2013 6.49% 5.78% 6.03%
2012 6.77% 5.88% 6.16%
2011 7.40% 6.13% 5.48%
2010 8.17% 6.47% 7.62%
2009 8.43% 6.80% 5.41%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Erie County, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Erie County, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 17.51% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Erie County Pennsylvania Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
Pennsylvania 17.98% -0.28% -0.60%
Erie County PA 17.51% -1.51% +0.28%

Trends in Erie County PA Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Erie County household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2018 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 19.02%. Since then it has fallen by 1.51% to 17.51%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Erie County PA, Pennsylvania, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Erie County Pennsylvania

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Erie County Pennsylvania

Date US Pennsylvania Erie County PA
2019 20.03% 17.98% 17.51%
2018 20.50% 18.26% 19.02%
2017 20.13% 18.10% 17.05%
2016 20.43% 18.58% 17.23%
2015 20.63% 18.70% 17.75%
2014 20.89% 19.12% 18.28%
2013 20.78% 19.11% 18.88%
2012 20.65% 18.69% 16.91%
2011 20.70% 18.78% 17.92%
2010 20.50% 18.58% 17.67%
2009 20.12% 17.88% 16.28%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Erie County Pennsylvania

You can calculate the renter fraction in Erie County in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Erie County as a fraction of total Erie County households. In 2019 33.57% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Erie County Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
Pennsylvania 31.59% +0.19% +0.09%
Erie County PA 33.57% -0.88% -0.41%

Trends in the Erie County PA Renter Fraction

The Erie County household renter fraction peaked in in 2015 at 35.94% and is now 2.37% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Erie County PA, Pennsylvania, US

Fraction of renters in Erie County

History of Erie County Renter Fraction

Date US Pennsylvania Erie County PA
2019 35.89% 31.59% 33.57%
2018 36.05% 31.40% 34.45%
2017 36.13% 31.70% 33.44%
2016 36.88% 31.50% 33.98%
2015 36.97% 31.28% 35.94%
2014 36.90% 31.17% 33.67%
2013 36.50% 31.05% 31.87%
2012 36.09% 31.09% 34.56%
2011 35.42% 30.51% 33.77%
2010 34.65% 29.87% 33.26%
2009 34.13% 29.48% 30.22%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.