Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,723.
The best of Elk Township’s subject grades are an A− for incomes and an A for the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for walkability. Elk Township’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. 55% of the land in Elk Township is conserved, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 8.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 142 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest place to walk is Big Elk Creek State Park, 931 acres with 3.2 miles of trail. Elk Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Elk Township beats most towns.
55.2% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Elk Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 404 in 1930, 1,698 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 7 maps from 1898 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elk Township. Close and well known come first.
15 mi GardenLongwood Gardens
39 mi Park & preserveSchuylkill River
17 mi MuseumWinterthur Museum, Garden and Library
20 mi LandmarkFort Christina
29 mi Stadium & arenaSubaru Park
26 mi Theme parkDutch WonderlandLongwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Schuylkill River: Emy111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5 · Fort Christina: Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Subaru Park: Something Original (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elk 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 Elk Township.
8.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Elk Township is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chrome Serpentine Barrens | 3.7 mi | 221 |
| 2. Big Elk Creek State Park | 3.2 mi | 931 |
| 3. Lower Chrome Serpentine Barrens | — | 60 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Elk Township for work: only 3% work in town. Elk Township’s median household income is $115,000. Jobs based in Elk Township grew to 155 in 2023, 92 more than in 2013.
| Elk Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $115,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elk Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 14% of residents (20% statewide). 39% of Elk Township adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Elk Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 43.1 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Elk Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.5% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.8% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.9% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.5% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.9% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.1% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.8% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.1% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.6% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Elk Township has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 23° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Elk Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 30% of adults have high blood pressure in Elk Township.
| Elk Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 79% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Elk Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.8% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Elk Township
About 7 of every 100 Elk Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
Where Elk Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Elk Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,681 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Elk Township.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Township | — | — | B | — | B | B |
| New London Township | #316 | A− | C | — | A | A |
| Franklin Township | #515 | B+ | D | — | A | A |
| East Nottingham Township | #617 | B | C+ | — | B | B− |
Elk Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Elk Township, New London Township, Franklin Township and East Nottingham Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Elk Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
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