Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yes, by almost any measure. Bellefonte earns an A, ranked 121st of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It reports less crime per resident than 99% of U.S. towns, it is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns, and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 10 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include Bellefonte Armory and Pennsylvania Match Company. 51% of households own their home in Bellefonte, against 78% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
Where Bellefonte beats most towns.
Gamble Mill
Census counts: 303 in 1810, 6,105 in 2020. The archive holds 36 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 4 maps from 1908 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Bellefonte is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bellefonte, 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 Bellefonte.
Bellefonte is healthier than towns with similar incomes, trades workers with College Township and other neighbors and sees little violent crime.
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Bellefonte’s property crime rate is 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Bellefonte | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by Bellefonte Area SD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Bellefonte Area HS, with 850 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellefonte Area MSLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 591 | C+ |
| Bellefonte Area HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 850 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
1.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Bellefonte is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Bellefonte | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Talleyrand Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
| 2. Parkview Heights Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Masullo Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bellefonte.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 35 to 64 are 48% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 16% of residents (21% statewide). 40% of Bellefonte adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Bellefonte has lost 3.5% of its people since 2020, down to 5,862 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Bellefonte | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.5 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Bellefonte | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.3% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.9% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.9% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 9.3% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.3% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.3% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.2% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Against the 9,523 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bellefonte’s, it is healthier than 90%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Bellefonte beats the Pennsylvania average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of adults binge drink in Bellefonte.
| Bellefonte | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Bellefonte | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.7% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Bellefonte has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 20° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bellefonte has about as many jobs (2,482) as working residents, but only 299 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 3,160 in 2013 to 2,482.
Most working residents leave Bellefonte for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Bellefonte has lost 678 jobs, to 2,482 in 2023. The top destinations are College Township (24%), State College (11%) and Ferguson Township (7%).
| Bellefonte | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Bellefonte home is worth about $317,000, up 2.2% in a year, 10% above the Pennsylvania typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bellefonte. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
9 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
36 mi LakeRaystown Lake
9 mi MuseumPalmer Museum of Art34 mi Theme parkDelGrosso's Amusement Park
9 mi GardenThe Arboretum at Penn StateBeaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Arboretum at Penn State: Daderot, Public domain
3 within 15 miles of the center of Bellefonte
About 4 of every 100 Bellefonte residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
10 places in Bellefonte on the National Register of Historic Places.
36 notable people were born in Bellefonte.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Bellefonte ( BEL-font) is a borough in and the county seat of Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is approximately 12 miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, Bellefonte had a population of 6,105. It houses the Centre County Courthouse, located downtown on the diamond. Bellefonte has also been home to five of Pennsylvania's governors, as well as two other governors. All seven are commemorated in a monument located at Talleyrand Park. The town features many examples of Victorian architecture. It is also home to the natural spring, "la belle fonte", bestowed by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Bellefonte grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #121 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health, A+ for safety and B+ for schools.
That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($74,291 across the State College, PA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
36 notable people were born here, including Jonathan Frakes and Jeff VanderMeer.
