Side-by-side comparison of York, PA and Harrisburg, PA — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Harrisburg has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.07% compared to York's 2.91%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $300,000 in York vs $300,000 in Harrisburg, while rents come in at $1,360/mo and $1,410/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: York is growing faster at 0.1% annually vs Harrisburg's 0.1%. York leads on home value appreciation at 2.2% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.38% in York vs 1.4% in Harrisburg. Vacancy rates of 6.5% and 6.5% are mixed — Harrisburg has the tighter rental market.
Entry point: York offers a lower entry at $300K vs Harrisburg's $300K — a difference of $0. With a 20% down payment, that's $60K vs $60K. Harrisburg's higher price may be justified by better market fundamentals.
Bottom line: Harrisburg edges out York on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.07%, Harrisburg's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in York or Harrisburg.