Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Altoona gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $140K for a typical one, or 2.2 years of the Altoona metro’s $62K median household income. It grades C overall, 886th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $51K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 76% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 13 places on the National Register. 30% of working residents work locally in Altoona, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (6.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Allegheny Furnace and Mishler Theatre. Altoona is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Altoona beats most towns.
Its 13 National Register listings are more than in 97% of Pennsylvania towns with a listing.
Census counts: 3,591 in 1860, a peak of 82,054 in 1930, 43,963 in 2020. The archive holds 29 old photos and papers going back to 1811 and 5 maps from 1920 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Altoona is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Altoona, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Altoona.
Altoona is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has homes that are cheap against local pay and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s.
At 2.2 years of the Altoona metro’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $140K) costs less against local pay than in 87% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,369, against $3,311 across Pennsylvania, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Altoona’s median rent is $819 a month. Typical home values rose 5.6% in the year to September 2026. 64% of households own their home in Altoona.
| Altoona | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $819 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 51% | 44% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Altoona Area SD. Three of its 17 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona Area Jr HSLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,578 | C |
| Altoona Area HSLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 2,255 | C+ |
| Irving El SchTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 267 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
98 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 12 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 98 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Altoona.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 6,213 U.S. towns with household incomes like Altoona’s, it is healthier than 52%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
20% of Altoona adults smoke cigarettes. Altoona beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 42% of Altoona adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Altoona | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Altoona | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.3% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 7.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.2% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
4.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Valley View County Park, 30 acres with 1.2 miles of trail.
| Altoona | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valley View County Park | 1.2 mi | 30 |
| 2. Highland Park | 0.3 mi | 19 |
| 3. Prospect Park | 0.2 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 29.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 87% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns.
The violent crime rate in Altoona is 2.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Altoona | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.2 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Altoona has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 20° and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Altoona has about as many jobs (18,065) as working residents, but only 5,233 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 17.9 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
About one in 3 of Altoona’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Altoona has lost 3,268 jobs, to 18,065 in 2023. The top destinations are Logan Township (9%), Allegheny Township (7%) and Hollidaysburg (3%).
| Altoona | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Altoona. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
Big draw38 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
3 mi Theme parkLakemont Park
23 mi DamSouth Fork Dam
21 mi LakeRaystown Lake
7 mi National Historic SiteAllegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site163K visitors a yearBeaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lakemont Park: Bhakta Dano. Original uploader was Oldano at en.wikipedia, Public domain · South Fork Dam: Ernest Walter Histed, Public domain · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site: Matthew A. Lynn; Original uploader was Mosamiazaz at en.wikipedia, Public domain
3 within 15 miles of the center of Altoona
About 4 of every 100 Altoona residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
13 places in Altoona on the National Register of Historic Places.
69 notable people were born in Altoona.
City in Pennsylvania, United States
Altoona ( al-TOO-nə) is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Altoona metropolitan area, which includes all of Blair County and was recorded as having a population of 122,823. Altoona was established in 1849 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Having grown around the railroad industry, the city has worked to recover from industrial decline and urban decentralization experienced in recent decades. The city is home to the Altoona Curve baseball team of the Eastern League, which is the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team. They play at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Alt…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Altoona.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona | #886 | C | A− | C | C | C− |
| Logan Township | #680 | B− | B+ | B | C | C+ |
| Newburg | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eldorado | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lakemont | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Allegheny Township | #801 | C+ | B− | C− | A− | B− |
| Greenwood | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Newburg, Eldorado, Lakemont and Greenwood aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Altoona with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Altoona grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #886 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C− for health, C for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
69 notable people were born here, including Charlie Crist and Michael Behe.
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