Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,970, settled in 1892. 47% more nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
The best of Burnham’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Only 92 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score lower on hazard risk. Burnham is more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 140 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. Burnham has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Burnham beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Burnham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,765 in 1920, 1,991 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1924 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Burnham, 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 Burnham.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 16 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Burnham.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Burnham has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Burnham for work: only 10% work in town. Burnham’s average trip to work is 19 minutes, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Burnham fell to 1,389 in 2023, 118 fewer than in 2013.
| Burnham | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.6% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Burnham beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 18% of Burnham adults smoke cigarettes, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (14%). 19% of adults binge drink in Burnham.
| Burnham | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Burnham | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.1% | 14.5% |
| More smokers | 18.2% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kishacoquillas Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Burnham’s median rent is $776 a month.
| Burnham | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $776 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
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Burnham. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
36 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
27 mi LakeRaystown Lake
20 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
20 mi MuseumPalmer Museum of Art38 mi Theme parkDelGrosso's Amusement ParkBeaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Burnham; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Burnham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Burnham is a borough in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,999 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Burnham.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnham | — | — | A | — | C | B− |
| Yeagertown | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Highland Park | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Burnham has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Burnham reports no FBI crime data of its own. Yeagertown and Highland Park aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Burnham with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
47% more nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $141,000, 51% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
