Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
North East gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $167K, 2.6 years of the Erie metro’s $63K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 577th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $69K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in North East, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (7.6%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 111 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score higher on history.
Where North East beats most towns.
Short's Hotel
Census counts: 387 in 1850, 4,106 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1877 and 6 maps from 1913 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far North East is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in North East, 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 North East.
North East gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Erie and other neighbors.
Paid flood insurance claims in North East since 1978: 14. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 78% of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2004, has brought federal aid to North East households. FEMA puts 85% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The public schools here belong to North East SD. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. 589 students attend the town’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 589 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Just over a quarter of North East adults have been diagnosed with depression. Among adults in the town, 21% smoke cigarettes.
| North East | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | North East | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 20.7% | 15.8% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19.6% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Erie Intl Ap weather station, 20 miles away, records that 104 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
The typical July afternoon high for North East comes to 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
North East has about as many jobs (1,853) as working residents, but only 313 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 18.4 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
The top destinations are Erie (23%), North East Township (15%) and Millcreek Township (6%). Most people who work leave North East to do it: just 18% work in town. Jobs in North East grew by 187 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 1,853. Half commute less than 14 miles.
| North East | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Trails total 0.4 miles in 2 parks and preserves. In North East, the trail density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| North East | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heard Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
| 2. Gibson Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 2.6 years of the Erie metro’s $63K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 78% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
In North East, 53% of households live in a home they own. The town’s typical rent comes in at $769 a month.
| North East | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $769 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North East. Close and well known come first.
23 mi LakeChautauqua Lake
14 mi State parkPresque Isle State Park
20 mi LandmarkFort Le Boeuf18 mi Theme parkWaldameer Park17 mi Theme parkSplash Lagoon
15 mi Zoo & aquariumErie ZooChautauqua Lake: Banderas, Public domain · Presque Isle State Park: Ruhrfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Le Boeuf: Charles M. Stotz ?, Public domain · Erie Zoo: Pat Noble, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of North East
About 4 of every 100 North East residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
2 places in North East on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in North East.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
North East is a borough in North East Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States, 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Erie. Its name comes from its position in the northeastern corner of Erie County, despite being near the extreme northwest of Pennsylvania. The population was 4,114 at the 2020 census, down from 4,294 in 2010. Fruit growing was an early economic endeavor, and is still to this day, as this is a popular area especially for cherries and grapes. There is an annual Cherry Festival in the summer and an annual Wine Country Harvest Festival in autumn. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the northernmost town in Pennsylvania.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. North East grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #577 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C for health and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $167,000, 42% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
4 notable people were born here, including Laura de Force Gordon and Julius C. Burrows.
