Town of Cairnbrook
Cairnbrook’s story
112 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers and 2 maps from 1914 on.
- 1914Cairnbrook is settled
CairnbrookPA
A town settled in 1914, now home to 419 people.
Population
419
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$85K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
36.9
years
Jobs based here
127
A commuter town
Settled
1914
112 years ago
Is Cairnbrook a good place to live?
3.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Cairnbrook, below both Pennsylvania’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Cairnbrook has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
419 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cairnbrook.
Housing
A typical Cairnbrook home is worth about $85K
$85KZillow home value
87% of households own their home in Cairnbrook. Typical home values rose 5.6% in the year to September 2026. The town’s typical rent stands at $753 a month.
| Cairnbrook | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $753 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Cairnbrook$85K
Pennsylvania$287K
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With only 0.6 jobs per working resident, most people in Cairnbrook work out of town
3%work in town
The share of working residents in Cairnbrook who work locally: 3%. The town had 127 jobs in 2023, up 70 from 2013. Its typical household income stands at $47,000. For half of commuters, work is under 16 miles away.
| Cairnbrook | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Cairnbrook3%
Richland Township11%
Johnstown6%
Somerset6%
Shade Township6%
16 mi
median commute distance
127
jobs based in Cairnbrook
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Cairnbrook faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
22risk score of 100
The risk rating from FEMA in Cairnbrook is 22 of 100. 83% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Cairnbrook, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical Pennsylvania or U.S. town
97″snow a winter
Expect chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers in Cairnbrook. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 17° and about 97 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–36°
Spring36–57°
Summer56–77°
Fall40–59°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Cairnbrook is
Cairnbrook: 28% of adults get no exercise outside work. Among adults locally, 16% report frequent physical distress and 39% have high blood pressure.
| Cairnbrook | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better15 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Cairnbrook | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 7.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.7% | 7.4% |
| More adults with arthritis | 38.2% | 30.4% |
Chan Soon- Shiong Medical Center at Windber
7.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cairnbrook
15pages on Cairnbrook
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 32 attractions →Flight 93 National Memorial and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cairnbrook. Close and well known come first.
Big draw4 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
Big draw38 mi MuseumFallingwater
30 mi MountainMount Davis
16 mi DamSouth Fork Dam
16 mi National Historic SiteAllegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site163K visitors a year26 mi Theme parkIdlewild and Soak ZoneSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Flight 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 · Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site: Matthew A. Lynn; Original uploader was Mosamiazaz at en.wikipedia, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Cairnbrook: who provides what
Cairnbrook is unincorporated, so Somerset County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSomerset Rural Elec Coop14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCairnbrook Improvement Assn water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSomerset CountySomerset County provides services here
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 hereSomerset County Board of ElectionsSomerset County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code1592415924 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Cairnbrook for work
Where Cairnbrook’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
127jobs based in Cairnbrook
3%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Cairnbrook
Pennsylvania Highlands Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Johnstown9.7 mi$7,110 in-state tuitionUniversity of Pittsburgh-JohnstownUniversity or college · Public · Johnstown9.8 mi$14,906 in-state tuitionCommonwealth Technical InstituteCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Johnstown14 mi$7,714 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Cairnbrook residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Cairnbrook
Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US
Cairnbrook is a census-designated place and coal town in Shade Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is located along Pennsylvania Route 160 within a mile of the borough of Central City. As of the 2010 census, the population was 520 residents.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,215 ft
- ZIP code
- 15924
Questions about Cairnbrook
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cairnbrook, PA a good place to live?
Cairnbrook has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Cairnbrook is in here
Say something about Cairnbrook.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.