Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Chambersburg is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, 949th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $288K, 3.7 years of the Chambersburg metro’s $77K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $57K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 11 places on the National Register. 27% of working residents work locally in Chambersburg, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 6.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. Chambersburg is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 88% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include John Brown House and Franklin County Courthouse.
Where Chambersburg beats most towns.
Franklin County Jail
Its 11 National Register listings are more than in 95% of Pennsylvania towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,304 in 1810, 21,903 in 2020. The archive holds 53 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 5 maps from 1902 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Chambersburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chambersburg, 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 Chambersburg.
Chambersburg draws workers from Greene Township and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s.
16,098 jobs are based in Chambersburg, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.5 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
About one in 4 of Chambersburg’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Chambersburg is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Chambersburg has added 911 jobs, to 16,098 in 2023.
| Chambersburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Chambersburg Area SD. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg Area MS - NorthLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,072 | C |
| Chambersburg Area SHSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,319 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
At 31.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 89% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns.
Chambersburg’s violent crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Chambersburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.4 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 7,901 U.S. towns with household incomes like Chambersburg’s, it is healthier than 52%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its C, from Greene Township (B) to Guilford Township (B).
Chambersburg beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 40% of adults have obesity in Chambersburg.
| Chambersburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 6.9% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Chambersburg | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 11.6% | 5.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 22.4% | 18.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Chambersburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Chambersburg has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.6 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Memorial Park, at 34 acres.
| Chambersburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nitterhouse Park and Soccer Complex | 0.4 mi | 16 |
| 2. Memorial Park | 0.3 mi | 34 |
| 3. Henninger Field | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Only 42.7% of households own their home, against 69.3% across Pennsylvania.
Chambersburg has grown 6.7% since 2020, to 23,376 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Chambersburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.6 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 21% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.1 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Chambersburg | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.5% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 44.7% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.1% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.9% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.9% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
43% of Chambersburg households own their home. The typical Chambersburg home is worth about $288,000, up 1.1% in a year, close to the Pennsylvania typical home.
| Chambersburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,099 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chambersburg. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
32 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
24 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
30 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a year
24 mi LandmarkGettysburg National Cemetery
22 mi National Military ParkGettysburg National Military Park730K visitors a yearRaven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain · Gettysburg National Military Park: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Chambersburg
About 4 of every 100 Chambersburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Chambersburg’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
11 places in Chambersburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
44 notable people were born in Chambersburg.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, and 13 miles (21 km) north of Maryland and the Mason–Dixon line and 52 miles (84 km) southwest of Harrisburg, the state capital. According to the United States Census Bureau, Chambersburg's 2020 population was 21,903. When combined with the surrounding Greene, Hamilton, and Guilford Townships, the population of Greater Chambersburg is 66,340 people. The Chambersburg, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area includes surrounding Franklin County, and in 2010 included 149,618 people. According to …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Chambersburg.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Guilford Township (C+) is closest.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg | #949 | C− | B− | C | C+ | C |
| Hamilton Township | #587 | B | B+ | — | C+ | B |
| Guilford Township | #785 | C+ | C | — | C+ | B |
| Greene Township | #748 | C+ | C+ | — | C+ | B |
Hamilton Township, Guilford Township and Greene Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Chambersburg with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Chambersburg grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #949 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C for health, C for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
44 notable people were born here, including Lil Skies and John Putch.
