Fullerton vs Waynesboro

Which is the better fit for you?

Fullerton, PA
66
Area Score
Top 24% nationally
Waynesboro, PA
68
Area Score
Top 19% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Waynesboro receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Fullerton to Waynesboro

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Everyday prices
5% lower
Regional price level 94.4 against 98.9 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$255 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,379 in Waynesboro against $1,634 in Fullerton.
The median home
21% less
$188,600 in Waynesboro against $239,700 in Fullerton.
The weather you would swap
Winters 3°F milder
Normal January lows are 25°F in Waynesboro against 22°F in Fullerton; July highs are 87°F against 86°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

34 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Fullerton
Waynesboro
Opportunity: Waynesboro is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
71 · Top 23%
vs
75 · Top 15%
Growth: Fullerton is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
54 · Top 40%
vs
43 · Bottom 34%
Climate: Waynesboro is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
64 · Bottom 33%
vs
71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience: Fullerton is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs
75 · Top 30%
Housing affordability: Waynesboro is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
72 · Top 35%
vs
78 · Top 17%
Schools: Waynesboro is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
50 · Top 49%
vs
62 · Top 34%
Access: Fullerton is the more favorable of the two.
Access
71 · Bottom 12%
vs
69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability: Waynesboro is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
58 · Top 50%
vs
62 · Top 42%

Measured values

MetricFullertonWaynesboroSource period
Population16,72411,0472024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$69,317 ±$8,967$66,956 ±$5,1422024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$33,589 ±$3,577$33,479 ±$2,9302024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,558/sq mi3,220/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$239,700$188,6002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,428$1,086 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,634$1,379 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index98.994.4 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate52.0%52.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.1%3.4% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)+3.3%+4.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher — the two are too close to separate23.2% ±4%19.0% ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate16.9%9.6% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)6811712 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.8 — more favorable1.512 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−8.3%−80.7%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high86°F87°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low22°F25°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation47.4"35.6"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport54 mi53 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate26.5 min ±1.8 min28.3 min ±3.0 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age34.437.42024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools562024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.6 — more favorable15.62024-25 school year
Math proficiency49.4%58.2% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency65.4%70.0% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility98.3%58.2%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Fullerton

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Waynesboro

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Fullerton
—
Fullerton: Your Score
66
Area Score
Waynesboro
—
Waynesboro: Your Score
68
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Fullerton, PA · Waynesboro, PA · How this is calculated: methodology