Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Clarks Summit earns an A+, 26th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. It reports less crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, residents are healthier than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household earns $92K. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $351K for a typical one and 5.4 times the Scranton metro’s $65K median household income. 56% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Clarks Summit, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. On the outdoors, just 152 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do worse. Clarks Summit's public schools beat 89% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation.
Where Clarks Summit beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Clarks Summit is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 92 in 1880, 5,107 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 7 maps from 1889 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clarks Summit, 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 Clarks Summit.
Clarks Summit has less tooth loss than most of Pennsylvania, sees little violent crime and has commutes shorter than most of Pennsylvania.
Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Clarks Summit is 2.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Clarks Summit | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by Abington Heights SD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarks Summit El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 399 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Pennsylvania is tooth loss: 4.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide.
14% of Clarks Summit adults report frequent mental distress. Clarks Summit beats the Pennsylvania average on 12 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 18% of Clarks Summit adults get no exercise outside work.
| Clarks Summit | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Clarks Summit | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.1% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults in fair or poor health | 13.5% | 18.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 32 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clarks Summit.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Typical home values rose 5.4% in the year to September 2026. Clarks Summit’s median rent is $1,305 a month.
| Clarks Summit | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,305 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Clarks Summit has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 16° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,299 working residents takes 16.9 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Most working residents leave Clarks Summit for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Clarks Summit grew to 3,054 in 2023, 591 more than in 2013. 4.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Clarks Summit.
| Clarks Summit | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clarks Summit. Close and well known come first.
6 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
25 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
31 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park9 mi Theme parkRocky Glen Park
10 mi Ski areaMontage Mountain Ski Area25 runs · 998 ft vertical
7 mi GardenNay Aug ParkSteamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Lake Wallenpaupack: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · Montage Mountain Ski Area: Montage Mountain Resorts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nay Aug Park: The Mebane Greeting Card Co., Wilkes-Barre, PA., Public domain
8 within 15 miles of the center of Clarks Summit
About 5 of every 100 Clarks Summit residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
3 notable people were born in Clarks Summit.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Clarks Summit is a borough in Lackawanna County, northwest of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 5,108 at the 2020 census. It is also the northern control city of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, I-476, though the official terminus is in adjacent South Abington Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Clarks Summit.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarks Summit | #26 | A+ | C− | A | A | A |
| South Abington Township | #255 | A | D | A− | A | A |
| Clarks Green | — | — | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Waverly Township | — | — | C− | — | A | A |
Clarks Green and Waverly Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Clarks Green and Waverly Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Clarks Summit with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Clarks Summit grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #26 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades A for health, A for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
3 notable people were born here, including Warren Stevens and Cory Spangenberg.
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