View of Westmoreland Homesteads September 1936, 1936
Norvelt’s story
89 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1936 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
- 1937Norvelt is settled
NorveltPA
Today 987 people live in this town, first settled in 1937.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Canadian2006 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
987
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$206K
Census ACS
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
50.3
years
Jobs based here
220
A commuter town
Is Norvelt a good place to live?
Norvelt’s midpoint age is 50.3 years, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 43.2 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Norvelt has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
987 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
CalumetNorvelt
Getting set up
Moving to Norvelt: who provides what
Norvelt is unincorporated, so Westmoreland County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerWest Penn PowerEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterMawc Yough Plant water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWestmoreland CountyWestmoreland County provides services here
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 hereWestmoreland County Board of ElectionsWestmoreland County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2025
ZIP codes15666, 1567415666 67% · 15674 33%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 Norvelt.
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Norvelt, with inland flooding at the top
Norvelt’s FEMA risk score stands at 9 of 100. 83% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities.
9risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Norvelt’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Half the trips to work are shorter than 10 miles. Since 2013, Norvelt has added 66 jobs, to 220 in 2023. Most working residents leave Norvelt for work: only 3% work in town. In Norvelt, just over one in ten residents live below the poverty line.
3%work in town
| Norvelt | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Norvelt3%
Unity Township10%
Hempfield Township10%
Mount Pleasant Township9%
Greensburg7%
10 mi
median commute distance
220
jobs based in Norvelt
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Norvelt brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Its midsummer high stands at 83°F.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–40°
Spring38–62°
Summer59–82°
Fall42–64°
Oct 13
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults had a checkup this year in Norvelt than in most of Pennsylvania or the rest of the country
15% of adults in Norvelt report frequent mental distress; 33% have obesity. Against the Pennsylvania average, Norvelt comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 4. The share of adults 18 to 64 in Norvelt who have no health insurance: 5.4%.
| Norvelt | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 79% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 5.4% | 6.9% | 8.1% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
2 better20 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Norvelt | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.2% | 79.2% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 89.1% | 85.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.8% |
Excela Health - Frick Hospital
4.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Norvelt sells for about $190K at the median
92% of Norvelt households live in a home they own.
$190Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 78 attractions →Fallingwater and 63 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Norvelt. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
Big draw32 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
23 mi Theme parkKennywood
32 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
32 mi Stadium & arenaPNC ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Acrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Norvelt
15pages on Norvelt
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Norvelt
Westmoreland County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Youngwood4.1 mi$6,018 in-state tuitionUniversity of Pittsburgh-GreensburgUniversity or college · Public · Greensburg5.3 mi$14,710 in-state tuitionSaint Vincent CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Latrobe7.8 mi$42,396 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Norvelt residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Norvelt for work
Where Norvelt’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
220jobs based in Norvelt
3%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Norvelt
Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US
Norvelt is a census-designated place in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, founded in 1934 as Westmoreland Homesteads. In 1937 it was renamed to honor Eleanor Roosevelt. The community was part of the Calumet-Norvelt CDP for the 2000 census, but was split into the two separate communities of Calumet and Norvelt for the 2010 census. Calumet was a typical company town, locally referred to as a "patch" or "patch town", built by a single company to house coal miners as cheaply as possible. On the other hand, Norvelt was created during the Great Depression by the federal government of the United States as a model community, intended to increase the standard…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,014 ft
- ZIP code
- 15674
Questions about Norvelt
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Norvelt, PA a good place to live?
Norvelt has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.