Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 1,403: a town in Pennsylvania.
The best of Jefferson Township’s subject grades are an A for civic life and the outdoors and an A− for history; the weakest is a C− for walkability. Jefferson Township’s typical July afternoon high is 77°F, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 85°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Jefferson Township's schools outperform 73% of the state's. 32% of the land in Jefferson Township is conserved, against 8.2% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Forbes State Forest, at 4,415 acres with 28.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 27 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score higher on civic life. Jefferson Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Jefferson Township beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Jefferson Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 4 maps from 1913 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Jefferson 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 Jefferson Township.
Compared with 90% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Jefferson Township is lower. Since 2004, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out locally. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 81% come from inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
There are 54 miles of trail across 3 parks and preserves. In Jefferson Township, the trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Forbes State Forest | 28.5 mi | 4,415 |
| 2. Laurel Hill State Park | 8.2 mi | 2,103 |
| 3. Kooser State Park | 1.5 mi | 230 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jefferson Township’s typical journey to work comes in at 29 minutes. Only 2% of working residents stay in Jefferson Township for work; the rest commute out. Also worth knowing: jobs here fell by 62 from 2013 to 2023, to 195. The top destinations are Somerset Township (19%), Somerset (15%) and Lincoln Township (3%).
| Jefferson Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Jefferson Township, the median age is 51.8 years. People 65 and older are 32% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (22% statewide). The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 34%, against 35% across Pennsylvania. Since 2020, Jefferson Township has lost 2.6% of its people, to 1,403 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Jefferson Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.8 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 29% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Jefferson Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.2% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.8% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.7% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Jefferson Township: 13% of adults have diabetes. In Jefferson Township, 39% of adults have high blood pressure, and 15% report frequent physical distress.
| Jefferson Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Jefferson Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.9% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 7.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jefferson Township’s January low stands at 16°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jefferson Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw17 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
20 mi MountainMount Davis
25 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year14 mi Theme parkIdlewild and Soak Zone
31 mi DamSouth Fork DamFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · South Fork Dam: Ernest Walter Histed, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Jefferson Township; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Jefferson Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Jefferson Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Jefferson Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,428 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
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 C.
