Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Foster Township earns a D, 990th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, mostly because of schools. Its schools rank behind 85% of the state's. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. 15% of the land in Foster Township is conserved, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. Only 137 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score lower on civic life.
Where Foster Township beats most towns.
Where Foster Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Foster Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,323 in 2000, 3,413 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 6 maps from 1891 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Foster 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 Foster Township.
Foster Township is a second-home town, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Foster Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mmi Preparatory School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 209 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
27 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. State Game Lands Number 149, at 1,978 acres with 12.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. State Game Lands Number 149 | 12.2 mi | 1,978 |
| 2. Lehigh Gorge State Park | 0.7 mi | 150 |
| 3. State Game Lands Number 187 | — | 1,585 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jobs based here fell from 1,240 in 2013 to 572.
Most working residents leave Foster Township for work: only 4% work in town. At 30 minutes, Foster Township’s average trip to work is above both the Pennsylvania town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Foster Township has lost 668 jobs, to 572 in 2023.
| Foster Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 5.1% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Foster Township’s July high is 78°F. Foster Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Foster Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 17% of adults smoke cigarettes in Foster Township.
| Foster Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Foster Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.5% | 5.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9% | 7.4% |
| More adults with arthritis | 36.9% | 30.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Foster Township. Close and well known come first.
34 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom35 mi Theme parkKnoebels Amusement Resort
9 mi State parkHickory Run State Park
29 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
31 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
35 mi Stadium & arenaPPL CenterDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hickory Run State Park: Mtruch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Steamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · PPL Center: Hunter Kahn, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Foster Township
About 2 of every 100 Foster Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Foster Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The population was 3,413 at the 2020 census. Foster Township police services are provided by White Haven Police Department. Emergency medical services are provided jointly by Freeland Northside Community Ambulance and White Haven Rescue Unit. Fearnots Volunteer Fire Company is Foster Township's Fire Department.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Foster Township.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster Township | #990 | D | B− | — | C− | C+ |
| Kidder Township | — | — | B+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Dennison Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lausanne Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| White Haven | — | — | B− | — | A− | B |
| Jeddo | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hazle Township | #1024 | D | B− | — | C− | D |
| Butler Township | #833 | C+ | C− | A− | C− | B− |
Kidder Township and White Haven have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Foster Township, Kidder Township, White Haven and Hazle Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Dennison Township, Lausanne Township and Jeddo aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Foster Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Foster Township grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #990 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health and C− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
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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