Juniata River at, 2016
Kistler’s story
Kistler in pictures
Census counts: 518 in 1930, 291 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 4 maps from 1922 on.
Explore the history →KistlerPA
A town of 291.
Population
291
2025 Census estimate · −1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$98K
Census ACS
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
45.6
years
Jobs based here
86
A commuter town
Is Kistler a good place to live?
17% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Kistler, below both the Pennsylvania town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Kistler has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
291 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Kistler: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kistler, and how to reach them.
PowerValley Rural Electric Coop15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMt Union Municipal Auth water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Kistler’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMifflin County Board of ElectionsMifflin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code1706617066 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kistler.
Schools
The schools Kistler’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Mount Union Area SD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Union-Kistler El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 278 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Kistler has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Kistler for work: only 0% work in town. At 29 minutes, Kistler’s average trip to work is where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Kistler grew to 86 in 2023, 84 more than in 2013.
0%work in town
| Kistler | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Kistler0%
Mount Union11%
Shirley Township6%
Huntingdon5%
Derry Township5%
26 mi
median commute distance
86
jobs based in Kistler
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Kistler faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Kistler.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
2
paid flood claims since 2004
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Kistler has four seasons and pleasant summers
Kistler has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 21° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–40°
Spring39–63°
Summer60–84°
Fall43–65°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Kistler is
Kistler beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 20% of adults binge drink in Kistler.
| Kistler | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better23 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Kistler | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.8% | 5.8% |
| More smokers | 18.9% | 15.8% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 80.9% | 85.3% |
Penn Highlands Huntingdon
11.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$120Kmedian sale price
| Kistler | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $886 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 78% | 73% |
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 54 attractions →Beaver Stadium and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kistler. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
38 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
8 mi LakeRaystown Lake
30 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
38 mi State parkPine Grove Furnace State Park
31 mi National Historic SiteAllegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site163K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Beaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site: Matthew A. Lynn; Original uploader was Mosamiazaz at en.wikipedia, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kistler
17pages on Kistler
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kistler
About 1 of every 100 Kistler residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Kistler for work
Where Kistler’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
86jobs based in Kistler
0%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Kistler
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kistler, PA a good place to live?
Kistler has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.