Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 6,657, settled in 1897.
Monessen gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $83K for a typical one, or 1.1 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household income. It grades C− overall, 961st among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. It reports more crime per resident than 88% of U.S. towns, including 23 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and its schools rank behind 83% of the state's. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 84% of U.S. towns. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Monessen, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 7.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Charleroi-Monessen Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 10 of the 314 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Monessen.
Where Monessen beats most towns.
Coolio7,720 counted in 2010 and 6,876 in 2020; an estimated 6,657 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 3.2% since 2020, after 10.9% in the decade before.
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 Monessen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,197 in 1900, a peak of 20,268 in 1930, 6,876 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 7 maps from 1902 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monessen, 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 Monessen.
Monessen is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it trails Rostraver Township and its other neighbors on schools.
At 1.1 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household income, the typical home (about $83K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
The median rent in Monessen is $733 a month. The typical Monessen home is worth about $83,000, down 1% in a year, 71% below the Pennsylvania typical home.
| Monessen | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $733 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Each of its 4 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Rostraver Township highest at B−.
Its public schools are run by Monessen City SD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monessen El CtrLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 330 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 154 to 82 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Monessen’s violent crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. Monessen reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 88% report less.
| Monessen | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.9 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 6,750 U.S. towns with household incomes like Monessen’s, it is healthier than 50%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Monessen beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 42% of Monessen adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Monessen | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Monessen | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.3% | 79.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Monessen for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Pittsburgh (11%), Charleroi (6%) and Rostraver Township (5%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
| Monessen | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.9% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Monessen has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 22° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Pennsylvania average. 23% of residents are 65 or older in Monessen. Monessen has lost 3.2% of its people since 2020, down to 6,657 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Monessen | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.9 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 29% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.8 points). Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Monessen | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.7% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.5% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.5% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.7% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.2% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.8% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.6% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Monessen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Monessen City Park, at 38 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Monessen City Park | — | 38 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Monessen. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
16 mi Theme parkKennywood
21 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
21 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
21 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints ArenaFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Acrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Monessen
About 5 of every 100 Monessen residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
Where Monessen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
23 notable people were born in Monessen.
City in Pennsylvania, US
Monessen is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Monongahela River. The population was 6,876 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Steelmaking was a prominent industry in Monessen, and it became a third-class city in 1921. With restructuring of the steel industry in the late 20th century and loss of jobs, it is considered a Rust Belt borough in the "Mon Valley" of southwestern Pennsylvania. Monessen is included in the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, as well as the Laurel Highlands. It sits across the Monongahela from the city of North Charleroi.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Monessen.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Fallowfield Township (C+) is closest. Rostraver Township next door grades higher for schools (B− to Monessen’s C−) and lower for cost of living (B to A).
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monessen | #961 | C− | A | D | C− | C− |
| Rostraver Township | #788 | C+ | B | C | B− | B− |
| Carroll Township | #367 | A− | A | A+ | C | B− |
| Fallowfield Township | #832 | C+ | A | — | C | C− |
| North Charleroi | — | — | A | — | C | D |
North Charleroi has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Fallowfield Township and North Charleroi report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Monessen with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Monessen grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #961 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C− for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Safety 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 A.
23 notable people were born here, including Coolio and Christian B. Anfinsen.
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