Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Boswell’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and safety and an A for civic life; the weakest is a D for health. Only 1 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score higher on cost of living. Only 70 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score higher on civic life. Boswell Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Boswell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Boswell beats most towns.
Boswell Historic DistrictIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Boswell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,878 in 1910, a peak of 2,168 in 1920, 1,224 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 6 maps from 1913 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Boswell, 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 Boswell.
Boswell reports less crime per resident than 99% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Boswell’s property crime rate is 1.7 per 1,000 residents, below both Pennsylvania’s towns (5.7) and U.S. towns (9.9). Boswell’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
| Boswell | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by North Star SD. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is North Star HS, with 327 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Star HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 327 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Boswell beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Boswell, against 17% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 25% of Boswell adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Boswell | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Boswell | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.7% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 22.2% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median rent in Boswell is $550 a month. The typical Boswell home is worth about $161,000, up 2.5% in a year, 44% below the Pennsylvania typical home.
| Boswell | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $550 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Boswell for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Boswell fell to 293 in 2023, 179 fewer than in 2013. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Boswell.
| Boswell | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Boswell has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 17° and about 65 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Boswell. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
Big draw29 mi MuseumFallingwater
27 mi MountainMount Davis
19 mi DamSouth Fork Dam
38 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year15 mi Theme parkIdlewild and Soak ZoneFlight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · South Fork Dam: Ernest Walter Histed, Public domain · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Boswell
About 3 of every 100 Boswell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Boswell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Boswell is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,221 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
