Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0Measured against area pay, Abbottstown costs less to live in than 80% of U.S. towns
Up 2.8% in a year, 15% above the Pennsylvania typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Gettysburg, PA metro area ($84K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Gettysburg metro earn ($84K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.5 years of metro income, and 46% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $331Ktypical home, 15% above the Pennsylvania typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,430a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 95prices across the Gettysburg metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 74)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 2.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$84K, Gettysburg-area income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 12%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Abbottstown
What’s behind Abbottstown’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Abbottstown is more affordable than 80% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have outpaced Pennsylvania: the typical Abbottstown home is up 28.3% in five years, against 22.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 28.3% in five years
Faster than Pennsylvania (22.9%).
Show as a table
| January | Abbottstown | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $191,000 | $171,000 |
| 2018 | $200,000 | $178,000 |
| 2019 | $207,000 | $185,000 |
| 2020 | $217,000 | $196,000 |
| 2021 | $239,000 | $216,000 |
| 2022 | $262,000 | $236,000 |
| 2023 | $281,000 | $253,000 |
| 2024 | $298,000 | $265,000 |
| 2025 | $312,000 | $276,000 |
| 2026 | $327,000 | $283,000 |
| September 2026 | $331,000 | $287,000 |
A typical Abbottstown home worth $190K in October 2016 is worth about $331K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.5 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Abbottstown’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $27K short of a typical Abbottstown home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,430 a month here, $710 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Abbottstown’s typical property tax (1.45% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,430
Renters already here pay a median of $1,122, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Gettysburg, PA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $3,056, under the Pennsylvania median of $3,311, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.45% a year, against 1.30% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Abbottstown
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Gettysburg, PA metro area, or Pennsylvania. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 95 | PA 98 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 101 | PA 99 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 107 | PA 109 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 98 | PA 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Abbottstown vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Abbottstown has the lowest. Hamilton Township and Paradise Township and Berwick Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbottstown | A− | $331K | $211K | 1.45% | $1,430 |
| Paradise Township | C | — | $271K | 1.61% | $1,350 |
| Berwick Township | B | — | $185K | 1.70% | $1,410 |
| Hamilton Township | B− | — | $291K | 1.40% | $1,460 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Abbottstown
Is Abbottstown expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Abbottstown costs less than 80% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.5 years of the median household income of the Gettysburg, PA metro area ($84K).
How much does a house cost in Abbottstown?
About $331K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.8% in a year. The Pennsylvania typical home is $287K.
What salary do you need to live in Abbottstown?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $92,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,140 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $57,000.
How much is rent in Abbottstown?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,430 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,122 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Abbottstown?
The median bill is $3,056 a year, 1.45% of the median home value (Pennsylvania: $3,311, 1.30%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Abbottstown going up?
Yes: up 2.8% in the past year and 28.3% in five years, against 22.9% across Pennsylvania (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Abbottstown buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.