That should be a good salary outside of Pittsburgh since your housing is covered! I would be sure to ask them about how the taxes on the relocation costs and accommodations will work. Technically you will be taxed on these costs since they are compensation.

In my experience with engineering internships they have “taxed up”. Essentially they report higher gross pay on those compensations so that they withhold the taxes for you and you don’t end up paying out of pocket. But this is not guaranteed so be sure to ask so you save appropriately!

I’ve been living in Harrisburg since 2020 and I am actively looking to get out. Covid hit this area hard and made meeting people much more difficult. It’s mostly come back, but I notice that most people know each other from high school/college & aren’t overly friendly (this may just be where I’ve hung out). I made a lot of friends through my job, but every young person wants to get out. I have about 2 of my 10 friends left.

If you had to do central PA, I’d say do the city of Lancaster. It has a much more upbeat downtown area. I’ve had fun every time I’ve visited there, but it is more expensive than Harrisburg.