Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Freedom’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and history; its weakest is a D for health. Only 63 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score lower on health. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Freedom, against 7.6% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 142 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score lower on the outdoors. Capt. William Vicary House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Freedom's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 80% of U.S. towns. Freedom has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Freedom beats most towns.
Capt. William Vicary House
Census counts: 384 in 1840, a peak of 3,452 in 1920, 1,496 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1826 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Freedom is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Freedom, 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 Freedom.
24% of adults smoke cigarettes in Freedom, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (14%). 30% of adults get no exercise outside work in Freedom. Freedom beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
| Freedom | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Freedom | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9.3% | 5.8% |
| More smokers | 23.9% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.1% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Freedom Area SD. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Area El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 426 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Freedom for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Freedom is 31 minutes. Jobs based in Freedom fell to 190 in 2023, 144 fewer than in 2013.
| Freedom | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Freedom has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 21° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Freedom.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Freedom home is worth about $261,000, about the same as a year ago, 9% below the Pennsylvania typical home. 65% of Freedom households own their home.
| Freedom | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,003 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.2% of the land in Freedom is conserved.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Freedom Park | — | 1 |
| 2. 4th Avenue Park | — | 1 |
| 3. Freedom Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Freedom. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
21 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
21 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
29 mi Theme parkKennywood
22 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints Arena
21 mi LandmarkFort PittAcrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Pitt: Downtown_Pittsburgh_May_2008.jpg: Allie Caufield derivative work: GrapedApe (tal, CC BY 2.0
6 within 15 miles of the center of Freedom
About 4 of every 100 Freedom residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Freedom is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,496 at the 2020 census. It is 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Pittsburgh and is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Originally founded as a steamboat-building town, it later became known for producing oil and caskets in the 20th century.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
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