Bell Township from PA819, 2015
Bell Township’s story
Bell Township in pictures
Census counts: 2,458 in 2000, 2,080 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 5 maps from 1907 on.
Explore the history →
Bell TownshipPA
The town, home to 2,081 people, lies in Pennsylvania.
8 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
2,081
2025 Census estimate · −0.3% since 2020
Median home value
$139K
Census ACS
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
52.4
years
Jobs based here
115
A commuter town
Is Bell Township a good place to live?
Bell Township’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for schools; its weakest is a D for walkability. On cost of living, just 79 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. Only 141 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score lower on the outdoors. Bell Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Bell Township stand out
Where Bell Township beats most towns.
A shrinking town
Bell Township has shrunk 12% since 2010
2,348 counted in 2010 and 2,080 in 2020; an estimated 2,081 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Bell Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Bell Township is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $139K, 1.8 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household incomeA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →SchoolsBeat 79% of Pennsylvania districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 25% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Jobs & income115 jobs based hereC+Open →HealthForbes Hospital 14.1 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 3% conserved landC−Open →HistoryAbove the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →Civic life4.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bell Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bell Township, and how to reach them.
WaterMawc Sweeney Plant water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bell Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWestmoreland County Board of ElectionsWestmoreland County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2025
ZIP codes15681, 15618, 15613, 1568015681 37% · 15618 33% · 15613 21% · 15680 9%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bell Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Bell Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Pittsburgh (7%), Washington Township (6%) and Murrysville (4%). Only 2% of working residents stay in Bell Township for work; the rest commute out. In Bell Township, the mean commuting time is 29 minutes, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. For Bell Township, the median household income is $64,000.
2%work in town
| Bell Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bell Township2%
Pittsburgh7%
Washington Township6%
Murrysville4%
Upper Burrell Township4%
15 mi
median commute distance
115
jobs based in Bell Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 12% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Bell Township, with inland flooding at the top
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 75% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Bell Township, 86% come from inland flooding.
25risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Bell Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
For Bell Township, the July high is 83°F.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–39°
Spring38–61°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–63°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC−
Conserved land covers 3.1% of Bell Township
2.1 miles of trail. Bell Township’s density of trails stands at 0.1 miles per square mile.
3.1%conserved
| Bell Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
3.1%
conserved · 443 of 14,086 acres
2.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Residents of Bell Township are less healthy than 52% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in Bell Township who have high blood pressure: 36%. Bell Township: 18% of adults smoke cigarettes, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (14%). 38% of adults in Bell Township sleep under 7 hours; 18% binge drink.
48%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Bell Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 38% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better20 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Bell Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 7.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 35.8% | 30.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 7.4% |
Forbes Hospital
14.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bell Township
18pages on Bell Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bell Township
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New KensingtonUniversity or college · Public · New Kensington10.4 mi$14,408 in-state tuitionSeton Hill UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Greensburg14.2 mi$42,944 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Bell Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Bell Township for work
Where Bell Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
115jobs based in Bell Township
2%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bell Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Bell Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,080 at the 2020 decennial census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 22 sq mi
Bell Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Bell Township.
Washington TownshipKiskiminetas TownshipLoyalhanna TownshipSalem TownshipAvonmoreOklahomaConemaugh TownshipOrchard HillsBell Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Township | — | — | A+ | — | A− | B− |
| Washington Township | #80 | A+ | B+ | A+ | A− | B |
| Kiskiminetas Township | #399 | B+ | A− | A | B− | B− |
| Loyalhanna Township | — | — | A | — | B | B− |
| Salem Township | #166 | A | A | — | B− | B |
| Avonmore | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Conemaugh Township | — | — | B | — | B | B− |
Bell Township, Loyalhanna Township and Conemaugh Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Bell Township, Loyalhanna Township, Salem Township and Conemaugh Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Avonmore and Oklahoma aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Bell Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Bell Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bell Township, PA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.