Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, St. Clair costs less to live in than 84% of U.S. towns
It ranks #109 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania for affordability. Up 1.1% in a year, 63% below the Pennsylvania typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Pottsville, PA micro area ($68K). 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 Pottsville-area micro earn ($68K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.1 years of area income, and 47% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $105Ktypical home, 63% below the Pennsylvania typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,090a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.1 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$68K, Pottsville-area income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 47%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Pennsylvania: 48%Census 2020–24
- 15%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in St. Clair, in brief
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical St. Clair home runs about $700 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,090. Can I afford it? ↓
Values rose faster than Pennsylvania’s over five years
The typical St. Clair home is up 40% in five years, against 23% across Pennsylvania. Since October 2016 it has more than doubled, from $41K to $105K. Price trend ↓
Half the homes were built before 1938
Half of St. Clair’s homes were built before 1938, against 1965 for Pennsylvania as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind St. Clair’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, St. Clair is more affordable than 84% of U.S. towns, #109 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Rent pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Values have outpaced Pennsylvania: the typical St. Clair home is up 40.3% in five years, against 22.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 40.3% in five years
Faster than Pennsylvania (22.9%).
Show as a table
| January | St. Clair | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $42,000 | $171,000 |
| 2018 | $48,000 | $178,000 |
| 2019 | $51,000 | $185,000 |
| 2020 | $48,000 | $196,000 |
| 2021 | $65,000 | $216,000 |
| 2022 | $74,000 | $236,000 |
| 2023 | $79,000 | $253,000 |
| 2024 | $86,000 | $265,000 |
| 2025 | $99,000 | $276,000 |
| 2026 | $104,000 | $283,000 |
| September 2026 | $105,000 | $287,000 |
A typical St. Clair home worth $41K in October 2016 is worth about $105K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs about a year of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to St. Clair’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical St. Clair home, with $135K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,090 a month here, $390 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, St. Clair’s typical property tax (1.62% 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 $1,090
Renters already here pay a median of $1,064.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Schuylkill County, PA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in St. Clair in 2025. The last year with any was 2020 (5 new homes).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, St. Clair's population fell by 259 even though 12 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Pennsylvania: 1.4 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $975,000 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $975,000 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $250,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $519,000 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $150,000 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $45,000 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $85,000 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $94,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,164, under the Pennsylvania median of $3,311, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.62% 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+”.
St. Clair vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, St. Clair has the lowest. Norwegian Township and East Norwegian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair | A− | $105K | $72K | 1.62% | $1,090 |
| East Norwegian Township | – | — | $144K | 1.37% | $1,040 |
| Norwegian Township | A− | — | $204K | 1.64% | $1,040 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” 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 St. Clair
Is St. Clair expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, St. Clair costs less than 84% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living, #109 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The typical home costs 1.1 years of the median household income of the Pottsville, PA micro area ($68K).
How much does a house cost in St. Clair?
About $105K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.1% in a year. The Pennsylvania typical home is $287K.
What salary do you need to live in St. Clair?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $30,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $700 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $44,000.
How much is rent in St. Clair?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,090 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,064 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in St. Clair?
The median bill is $1,164 a year, 1.62% of the median home value (Pennsylvania: $3,311, 1.30%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in St. Clair going up?
Yes: up 1.1% in the past year and 40.3% in five years, against 22.9% across Pennsylvania (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What St. Clair 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. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.