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City · 12,529 residents · Elk County, Pennsylvania

St. Marys , Pennsylvania

In St. Marys, a typical home is worth $149,000 and typical rent is $762 a month. Compared with all of Elk County, the typical home value is 12% higher and typical rent is 6% higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $149,000

    12% above the county

    41% below Pennsylvania

    • St. Marys
    • Elk
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical rent

    $762a month

    6% above the county

    37% below Pennsylvania

    • St. Marys
    • Elk
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical household income

    $67,167a year

    About the same as the county

    14% below Pennsylvania

    • St. Marys
    • Elk
    • Pennsylvania

  • Households that own their home

    78%

    2 points below the county

    8 points above Pennsylvania

    • St. Marys
    • Elk
    • Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

St. Marys is in Elk County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Elk County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets St. Marys apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Bradford, the typical home value is $85,600: 43% less than in St. Marys ($149,000).

  2. St. Marys has the 20th lowest typical rent of the 265 cities in Pennsylvania with more than 5,000 people ($762).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in St. Marys

What homes there are in St. Marys, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In St. Marys, 8 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses, about the same as in Elk County.

Year built

By age, homes in St. Marys look like those in Elk County: the typical year built is 1961.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 97% of owner-occupied homes in St. Marys sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,142 a month

Elk County: $1,139 a month

Without a mortgage

$489 a month

Elk County: $479 a month

Owners with a mortgage

40%

Elk County: 41%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in St. Marys is $1,142 a month, near the figure in Elk County ($1,139).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in St. Marys gained value more slowly than in Elk County: 22% since 2015–2019, against 30%.

The typical rent in St. Marys rose 31% over the same time; in Elk County, it rose 22%.

While home values in St. Marys changed +22% and rent +31%, the typical household income rose 26%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSt. MarysElk CountyPennsylvaniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate4.9%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.6%3.4%
People per household 2.152.272.392.53
Drive alone 85%85%68%69%
Carpool 10%8%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%4%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate3%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in St. Marys are smaller: 2.15 people on average; in Elk County, 2.27.

To get to work, 85% of workers in St. Marys drive alone; in Elk County, 85%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in St. Marys?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in St. Marys, worth $149,000, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 23% of the typical household income in St. Marys, which is $67,167 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Elk County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in St. Marys. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $5,215 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,280

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$146,301
Total interest
$210,493
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,516 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,567 a month

    Your payment · 23%

  • Tight

    $1,567 to $2,015 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,015 a month

Compared with the typical household income in St. Marys ($67,167 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,280
Principal & interest$991
Property tax$161
Home insurance$62
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$66

You need at least $5,215 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

St. Marys and Elk County

St. Marys is in Elk County, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

St. Marys's own numbers

Typical home value
$149,000
Typical monthly rent
$762
Typical yearly household income
$67,167
Households that own their home
78%
Effective property tax rate
1.3%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Elk County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,014
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+47%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
3.9%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Elk County.

Everything about Elk County

Buying

Buying a home in St. Marys

A typical home in St. Marys is worth $149,000: 12% above the county and 41% below Pennsylvania. With the typical household income in St. Marys ($67,167 a year), a typical home costs 2.2 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • St. Marys 2.2 years
  • Elk 2.0 years
  • Pennsylvania 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Elk County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Elk County rose 68% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Elk County.

Period County Pennsylvania U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.3% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +47% +48% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +68% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

St. Marys next to Elk County, Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • St. Marys $149,000
  • Elk $133,600
  • Pennsylvania $254,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • St. Marys $762
  • Elk $719
  • Pennsylvania $1,209
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • St. Marys $67,167
  • Elk $66,380
  • Pennsylvania $77,971
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
St. Marys next to Elk County and Pennsylvania
Measure St. Marys Elk County Pennsylvania U.S.
Typical home value $149,000 $133,600 $254,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $762 $719 $1,209 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $67,167 $66,380 $77,971 $80,734
Households that own their home 78% 80% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,935 $1,697 $3,311 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.3% 1.27% 1.3% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 46% 44% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Elk County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in St. Marys

For a typical $149,000 home in St. Marys, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, St. Marys's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,280a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $5,215
    Cash to close
    $9,685
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $66

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,253a month

    Down payment
    $7,450
    Cash to close
    $11,920
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $71

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,031a month

    Down payment
    $29,800
    Cash to close
    $34,270
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,169a month

    Down payment
    $22,350
    Cash to close
    $26,820
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for St. Marys and for Elk County.

Property tax

Effective rate in St. Marys

1.3%of the home’s value each year

$1,935 a year for the typical owner in St. Marys.

  • St. Marys 1.3%
  • Elk 1.27%
  • Pennsylvania 1.3%

What Pennsylvania publishes Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (PTRR) (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Pennsylvania

Flood risk in Elk County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Elk County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
3.9%
719
Of those, with NFIP insurance
9.6%
County Pennsylvania U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 3.9% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 9.6% 23% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in St. Marys

Typical rent in St. Marys is $762 a month: 6% above the county. In St. Marys, 46% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Elk County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,014 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.50 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Elk County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $749 $14.40 $29,960
1 bedroom $879 $16.90 $35,160
2 bedrooms $1,014 $19.50 $40,560
3 bedrooms $1,328 $25.54 $53,120
4 bedrooms $1,333 $25.63 $53,320

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in St. Marys

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). St. Marys is in ZIP code 15857.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,010: $4 less than the fair market rent for Elk County ($1,014).

  • 15857 $1,010$1,340

A ZIP code counts for St. Marys when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in St. Marys

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in St. Marys. These are the largest.

  • Elco Glen Housing 759 Johnsonburg Rd, St Marys 15857 32 low-income homes · 1 bd: 30 · 2 bd: 2 · In service since 1993 · For older adults
  • Marien Stadt Place 72 Erie Ave, St Marys 15857 24 low-income homes · 1 bd: 20 · 2 bd: 4 · In service since 2007 · For older adults

See all 10 buildings in Elk County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in St. Marys

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Elk County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

An older woman smiles in front of her apartment building.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in St. Marys

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for St. Marys or Elk County. The ones below are statewide in Pennsylvania: they work in St. Marys the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Pennsylvania

Housing counselors near St. Marys

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of St. Marys, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • The Home Foundation

    226 E Nittany Ave, State College · 57 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (814) 954-4215

  • Housing Authority of the County of Butler

    114 Woody Dr, Butler · 83 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (724) 287-6797

  • Center for Family Services, Incorporated

    996 S Main St, Meadville · 85 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (814) 337-8450

All counseling agencies in Pennsylvania

Help in Spanish near St. Marys

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of St. Marys

HUD’s record names them for St. Marys or Elk County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of the County of Elk Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (814) 965-2532

All housing agencies in Pennsylvania Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to St. Marys, with the typical home value.

Everything about Elk County Housing in Pennsylvania

Neighboring counties

If Elk County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in St. Marys.

All guides
A family walks a boardwalk trail in the forest; one of them uses a wheelchair.

Questions

Housing questions about St. Marys

Short answers with the numbers for St. Marys and all of Elk County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in St. Marys?

The typical home value in St. Marys is $149,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Elk County it is $133,600.

How much does it cost to rent in St. Marys?

Typical rent in St. Marys is $762 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Elk County is $1,014.

What is the FHA loan limit in St. Marys?

St. Marys uses the FHA limit for all of Elk County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in St. Marys?

The typical homeowner in St. Marys pays $1,935 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.3% of the home’s value; in Elk County, the rate is 1.27%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in St. Marys?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Elk County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).