Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,187, settled in 1796. 2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
The best of Donegal Township’s subject grades are an A+ for civic life and an A for the outdoors. 33% of residents are 65 or older in Donegal Township, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 18%. 39% of the land in Donegal Township is conserved, against 8.2% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Forbes State Forest, 9,817 acres with 20.3 miles of trail. Only 13 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score higher on civic life. Donegal Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Donegal Township beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Donegal Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 192 in 1870, a peak of 258 in 1940, 102 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 8 maps from 1922 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Donegal Township, 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 Donegal Township.
51 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Donegal Township’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roaring Run Natural Area | 22 mi | 3,505 |
| 2. Forbes State Forest | 20.3 mi | 9,817 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Mount Pleasant Area SD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donegal El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 92 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Donegal Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Donegal Township has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Donegal Township is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Donegal Township for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Donegal Township grew to 882 in 2023, 352 more than in 2013. 11% of Donegal Township residents live below the poverty line.
| Donegal Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Donegal Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 82% of adults had a checkup this year in Donegal Township.
| Donegal Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 79% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Donegal Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.8% | 79.2% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 81.8% | 78.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.4% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Donegal Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw22 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
34 mi Theme parkKennywood
23 mi MountainMount Davis
22 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year11 mi Theme parkIdlewild and Soak ZoneFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Donegal Township
About 2 of every 100 Donegal Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
There are also three Donegal Townships in Pennsylvania. Donegal is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a distinct municipality from the adjacent Donegal Township. The population was 103 at the 2020 census. Donegal is best known as an exit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike with restaurants, gas stations, and two hotels for travelers. It was named after the town and county of Donegal in Ireland.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Donegal Township.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donegal Township | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Cook Township | — | — | A− | — | B | B |
| Jefferson Township | — | — | C | — | B+ | C |
| Saltlick Township | #937 | C− | A | — | C− | C |
| Mount Pleasant Township | #573 | B | A− | — | B− | B− |
| Middlecreek Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Donegal Township, Cook Township and Jefferson Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Donegal Township, Cook Township, Jefferson Township, Saltlick Township and Mount Pleasant Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Middlecreek Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Donegal Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
.jpg){kind=link}
