Destination Pennsylvania

This section will answer many of your questions regarding the life science industry in Pennsylvania, the state's economy, tax structure and cost of living, education, transportation, climate, recreational opportunities, history and more.

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Industry Overview | Economy/Cost of Living | Education
Recreation & Entertainment | Transportation | Geography & Climate
History | Suggested Reading List

Immersed in a rich history central to the founding of the country, site of the nation’s first hospital, baseball stadium, newspaper and computer; this is Pennsylvania, home to the Liberty Bell, educational excellence, and strongly committed to its thriving life sciences community.

Industry Snapshot

Pennsylvania has asserted itself as a key player in the Life Sciences community. It has the largest concentration of tissue engineering firms, is the second largest biopharmaceutical state and ranks third in biotech employment in the nation. Over 2,000 life science-related companies employing more than 84,000 professionals are located in the state.

Economy/Cost of Living

Boasting a high quality of life with affordable housing, a home ownership rate of 11th in the nation at 74 percent, a low crime rate ranked 42nd in the nation, quality health care, high quality schools (ranked 9th in the nation for expenditures per pupil), a highly-trained workforce, extensive research capabilities, a multifaceted transportation infrastructure, business incentives and an attractive tax climate, Pennsylvania offers the ideal location for new businesses.

Education

Pennsylvania has a strong track record for educational excellence. The state boasts four of the top 50 universities, four of the top 15 undergraduate engineering programs and seven of the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the nation. Nearly 100 institutions in the state have degree programs in biological or biomedical sciences.

Recreation & Entertainment

Pennsylvania is home to a plethora of tourist options, including over 90 wineries, 15 amusement parks, the Crayola Crayon Factory, over 600 golf courses, glorious autumn colors, Lancaster County and the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, eight commercial caves (including Laurel Caverns in the southwestern part of the state and central Pennsylvania's Penn's Cave) and 4.5 million acres (1.8 million hectares) of public lands.

Transportation

Pennsylvania’s mid-Atlantic location provides access to 6 major U.S. markets within a 500 mile (805 kilometer) radius of the state’s capital, Harrisburg.

Geography & Climate

Pennsylvania, a middle-Atlantic state in the eastern U.S., is bordered by New Jersey (across the Delaware River) to the east, Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, and Lake Erie and New York to the north.

History

Pennsylvania’s prominent place in the founding of the U.S. is well-earned. The state boasts over 1,800 historical markers and many firsts for the country, including the first American flag, nation's capitol, hospital, library, zoo, baseball stadium, all motion-picture theater, television broadcast, radio broadcast, newspaper, paper mill, oil well, high-speed multi-lane highway, banana split and computer.

Suggested Reading List

A list of select guides and reference books about Pennsylvania.