Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,899. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Franklin gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $129K, 2.1 years of the Oil City area’s $62K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 918th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $47K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 89% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Franklin’s average trip to work is 16 minutes, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 13 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score higher on history.
Where Franklin beats most towns.
Samuel F. Dale HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Franklin is from typical.
Its best grade is an A+ for history (#9 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania; 2 places on the National Register; 16 notable people born here), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its C comes from the livability subjects above.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 159 in 1810, a peak of 10,254 in 1930, 6,077 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 4 maps from 1909 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Franklin, 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 Franklin.
Franklin is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Pennsylvania (mostly inland flooding).
At 2.1 years of the Oil City area’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $129K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
48% of Franklin households own their home. The typical Franklin home is worth about $129,000, down 1.8% in a year, 55% below the Pennsylvania typical home. The median rent in Franklin is $731 a month.
| Franklin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $731 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Franklin Area SD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 342 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
2.6 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
| Franklin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bandstand Park | 0.4 mi | 2 |
| 2. Riverfront Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
| 3. Fountain Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Pennsylvania towns, with expected losses of about $526 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1981, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Franklin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 4,706 U.S. towns with household incomes like Franklin’s, it is healthier than 75%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Franklin beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Franklin.
| Franklin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Franklin | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.4% | 7.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.6% | 5.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Franklin has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Franklin’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 24.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 82% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Jobs based here fell from 4,865 in 2013 to 3,138. The average commute for its 2,393 working residents takes 16.2 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Since 2013, Franklin has lost 1,727 jobs, to 3,138 in 2023. About one in 4 of Franklin’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Sugarcreek (10%), Cranberry Township (8%) and Oil City (4%).
| Franklin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Franklin; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Franklin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
2 places in Franklin on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Franklin.
City in Pennsylvania, US
Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States, located at the confluence of French Creek and the Allegheny River. The population was 6,077 in the 2020 census. Franklin is part of the Oil City micropolitan area. It is known for its three-day autumn festival in October, Applefest, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Franklin.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | #918 | C | B+ | C+ | C | C |
| Sugarcreek | #422 | B+ | A | A− | B | C |
| Sandycreek Township | — | — | B+ | — | C | C |
| Frenchcreek Township | — | — | B+ | — | C | C |
Sandycreek Township and Frenchcreek Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Sandycreek Township and Frenchcreek Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Franklin with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Franklin grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #918 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C for health, C+ for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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+.
Franklin has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 16 notable people were born here, including Alexander Hays and Alexander McDowell.
