Erie Pennsylvania Residential Rent and Rental Statistics
The median monthly gross residential rent in Erie, PA (the Erie metro area) was $756 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Erie 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 median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.
Data is also available below for Erie rental vacancy rates, Erie rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Erie.
Real Gross Rent in Erie 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, PA Median Gross Rent | $756 | -2.45% | +2.72% |
Erie, PA Real Gross Rent Trends
Median gross rent for Erie peaked in real terms in 2018 at $775 and is now $19 (2.45%) lower. Average gross rent for Erie peaked in real terms in 2018 at $785 and is now $40 (5.10%) lower.
Real Gross Rent in Erie: Erie PA Median, Erie PA Average, Pennsylvania Median, US Median
Real Gross Rent History for Erie
| Date | US Median |
Pennsylvania Median |
Erie, PA Median |
Erie, 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 |
| 2007 | $927 | $805 | $658 | $654 |
| 2005 | $910 | $809 | $700 | $691 |
Erie 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 Pennsylvania was 5.19% according to Census ACS data.
Rental Vacancy Rate in Erie Pennsylvania
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 5.97% | -0.18% | +0.08% |
| Pennsylvania | 4.87% | -0.42% | -0.90% |
| Erie, PA | 5.19% | -3.30% | -1.88% |
Trends in Erie, PA Rental Vacancy Rate
The rental vacancy rate in Erie 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 PA, Pennsylvania, US
Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Erie
| Date | US | Pennsylvania | Erie, 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% |
| 2007 | 7.87% | 7.34% | 10.98% |
| 2005 | 7.74% | 7.94% | 8.07% |
Rent as a Fraction of Income
Using median household income data for Erie, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Erie, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 17.51% in 2019 according to the ACS.
Erie 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, PA | 17.51% | -1.51% | +0.28% |
Trends in Erie, PA Rent as a Fraction of Income
The fraction of median Erie 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 PA, Pennsylvania, US
Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Erie Pennsylvania
| Date | US | Pennsylvania | Erie, 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% |
| 2007 | 18.66% | 16.92% | 15.85% |
| 2005 | 18.89% | 17.43% | 16.67% |
Renter Fraction in Erie Pennsylvania
You can calculate the renter fraction in Erie 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 as a fraction of total Erie households. In 2019 33.57% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.
Erie 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, PA | 33.57% | -0.88% | -0.41% |
Trends in the Erie, PA Renter Fraction
The Erie 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 PA, Pennsylvania, US
History of Erie Renter Fraction
| Date | US | Pennsylvania | Erie, 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% |
| 2007 | 32.80% | 28.36% | 28.93% |
| 2005 | 33.10% | 28.52% | 30.32% |
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. ↩
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