Cook Marker, 1909
Mont Alto’s story
264 years in pictures
Census counts: 658 in 1890, 1,580 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 5 maps from 1902 on.
- 1762Mont Alto is settled
Mont AltoPA
A town of 1,563, settled in 1762.
Photo: Dincher · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,563
2025 Census estimate · −0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$228K
−0.8% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
41.4
years
Jobs based here
143
A commuter town
Is Mont Alto a good place to live?
Mont Alto’s best subject grades are a B+ for cost of living and history. 11% of residents are under 18 in Mont Alto, against 20% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Mont Alto is home to Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto. Mont Alto has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestA−Hazard risk
What makes Mont Alto stand out
Where Mont Alto beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Typical home value
Mont Alto$228K
Pennsylvania$287K
Cost of livingB+
3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 73% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 567 |
A college in town
567 college students
at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto
Students are 13% of residents.
College town
13% of Mont Alto is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Mont Alto grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Mont Alto is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →Jobs & income$81K median household incomeC+Open →HealthWellspan Waynesboro Hospital 6.2 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 2.6% of households have no car; 3.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBehind 55% of Pennsylvania districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC+Open →HistoryB+Open →Civic life3.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.4; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 71 attractions →Raven Rock Mountain Complex and 28 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mont Alto. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
32 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
18 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
17 mi LandmarkGettysburg National Cemetery
26 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a year
15 mi National Military ParkGettysburg National Military Park730K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Raven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg National Military Park: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Mont Alto: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mont Alto, and how to reach them.
PowerMont Alto BoroughEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterMont Alto Municipal Authority1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Mont Alto’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 hereFranklin County Board of ElectionsFranklin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code1723717237 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 Mont Alto.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Mont Alto has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Mont Alto for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Mont Alto fell to 143 in 2023, 24 fewer than in 2013. 6.3% of Mont Alto workers work from home, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 11%.
2%work in town
| Mont Alto | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.3% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Mont Alto2%
Waynesboro11%
Chambersburg9%
Guilford Township5%
Quincy Township5%
12 mi
median commute distance
143
jobs based in Mont Alto
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Mont Alto faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Mont Alto
Mont Alto has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 22° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring40–62°
Summer61–83°
Fall44–65°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Mont Alto is valued at about $228K
The typical Mont Alto home is worth about $228,000, down 0.8% in a year, 21% below the Pennsylvania typical home.
$228KZillow home value
| Mont Alto | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,296 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 78% | 73% |
Typical home value
Mont Alto$228K
Pennsylvania$287K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Mont Alto is less healthy than 56% of U.S. towns
Mont Alto beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Mont Alto.
44%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Mont Alto | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better22 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Mont Alto | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.5% | 5.8% |
| More smokers | 18.5% | 15.8% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.7% | 16.4% |
Wellspan Waynesboro Hospital
6.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mont Alto
17pages on Mont Alto
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Mont Alto
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont AltoUniversity or college · Public · Mont AltoIn town$14,408 in-state tuitionWilson CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Chambersburg9.1 mi$27,100 tuition
About 13 of every 100 Mont Alto residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Mont Alto for work
Where Mont Alto’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
143jobs based in Mont Alto
2%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Mont Alto
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Mont Alto is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,580 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1762
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 886 ft
- ZIP code
- 17237
Questions about Mont Alto
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mont Alto, PA expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($77,003 across the Chambersburg, PA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.