Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Girardville’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for history; the weakest is a D for incomes. Girardville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 85% of U.S. towns. Girardville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Girardville beats most towns.
1,519 counted in 2010 and 1,308 in 2020; an estimated 1,325 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Girardville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,730 in 1880, a peak of 4,891 in 1930, 1,308 in 2020. The archive holds 21 old photos and papers going back to 1889 and 6 maps from 1889 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Girardville, 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 Girardville.
Typical home values fell 5.1% in the year to September 2026. The share of households in Girardville who live in a home they own is 80%, near the Pennsylvania town median (78%) and above the median of U.S. towns (73%).
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 80% of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 24 claims in Girardville since 1978. Also worth knowing: 86% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Girardville after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The share of working residents in Girardville who work locally is 1.1%, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 6.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. 21% of residents live below the poverty line here. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Girardville dropped by 173, to 94. The median commute is under 15 miles.
| Girardville | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Summer afternoons peak near 80° in July, and January nights bottom out around 17°; snowfall runs to about 48 inches a winter. Expect chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers in Girardville, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Girardville, 18% of adults binge drink. Two figures for adults here: 40% sleep under 7 hours, 39% have obesity.
| Girardville | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Girardville | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 19.3% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 7.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 36.1% | 30.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Girardville’s concentration of trails comes in at 0.8 miles per square mile. 0.4 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve.
| Girardville | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. East End Playground | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Girardville. Close and well known come first.
40 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year13 mi Theme parkKnoebels Amusement Resort
40 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
21 mi Park & preserveRoadside America
40 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arena
38 mi State parkRicketts Glen State ParkHersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hersheypark Stadium: 45BearsFan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Roadside America: Mark Fleisher, President and CEO of Aim Advertising in Lewisburg, PA,, Public domain · Hersheypark Arena: Hersheyarena4ever at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Girardville
About 2 of every 100 Girardville 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
Girardville (nicknamed Guntown) is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States, 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Reading. Anthracite coal deposits are in the region. Coal-mining provided employment and incomes for many residents. As of the 2020 census, Girardville had a population of 1,308. It was founded in 1832 and is named after Stephen Girard of Philadelphia, who purchased large land holdings in and around the town. It was incorporated as a borough in 1872.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 A.
2 notable people were born here, including Chick Fullis and Harry Humes.
