Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Centralia. Centralia’s July high is 79°F, against 85°F in Pennsylvania’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Centralia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Centralia beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 1,342 in 1870, a peak of 2,761 in 1890, 5 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1916 and 6 maps from 1889 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Centralia, 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 Centralia.
Centralia has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Centralia’s January low is 17°F, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 21°F and U.S. towns at 22°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Centralia beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 18% of Centralia adults smoke cigarettes.
| Centralia | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Centralia | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 7.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 35.9% | 30.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Centralia
About 0 of every 100 Centralia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Depopulated borough in the United States
Centralia (, sen-TRAY-li-ə) is a borough and near-ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States, part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Its population declined from 1,000 in 1980 to five residents in 2020 because of a coal mine fire burning beneath the borough since 1962. Centralia, part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick metropolitan area, is the least-populated municipality in Pennsylvania. It is completely surrounded by Conyngham Township. All real estate in the borough was claimed under eminent domain in 1992 and condemned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Centralia's ZIP Code was discontinued by the Postal Service in 2002. State and local officials reached an agreement with the then…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Centralia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including John Chapman and Roscoe Charles Wilson.