Untitled photo, 2007
Orwell Township’s story
211 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
- 1815Orwell Township is settled
Orwell TownshipPA
64% more nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,200
2025 Census estimate · +1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$217K
Census ACS
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
34.8
years
Jobs based here
216
A commuter town
Is Orwell Township a good place to live?
Orwell Township’s best subject grade is an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C for health. Orwell Township’s average trip to work is 34 minutes, against 26 minutes in Pennsylvania’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 120 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns score lower on the outdoors. Orwell Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestA−Civic life
What makes Orwell Township stand out
Where Orwell Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Orwell Township6.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical PA town3.7
Civic lifeA−
64% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Pennsylvania town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1815
A long history
A history going back 211 years.
Small town
1,200 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Warren TownshipRome TownshipPike TownshipWindham TownshipOrwell Township
How Orwell Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Orwell Township is from typical.
HealthRobert Packer Hospital 15.1 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 1.7% of households have no car; 2.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →Jobs & income$90K median household incomeB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $217K, 3.4 years of the Sayre area’s $64K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 10% conserved landC−Open →HistoryB+Open →Civic life6.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Orwell Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Orwell Township, and how to reach them.
PowerClaverack Rural Elec Coop18.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Orwell Township’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 hereBradford County Board of ElectionsBradford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2025
ZIP codes18837, 18853, 1882918837 79% · 18853 17% · 18829 4%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 Orwell Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Orwell Township has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Orwell Township for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, Orwell Township has added 172 jobs, to 216 in 2023. 6.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Orwell Township, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 7.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
6%work in town
| Orwell Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.6% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Orwell Township6%
Wyalusing Township9%
Sayre6%
Wysox Township5%
North Towanda Township5%
16 mi
median commute distance
216
jobs based in Orwell Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 42% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Orwell Township’s schools trail 53% of Pennsylvania districts
Its public schools are run by Northeast Bradford SD. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Northeast Bradford JSHS, with 313 students.
47%of PA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Bradford Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 330 | B |
| Northeast Bradford JSHSLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 313 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
HealthC
Residents of Orwell Township are less healthy than 69% of U.S. towns
Orwell Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Orwell Township.
31%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Orwell Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better16 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Orwell Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.2% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 19.8% | 15.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.2% | 5.8% |
Robert Packer Hospital
15.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Orwell Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Orwell Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Orwell Township’s July high is 81°F.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–35°
Spring34–56°
Summer57–79°
Fall40–60°
Oct 15
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC−
Conserved land covers 10.3% of Orwell Township
1.5 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Orwell Township is 0.1 miles per square mile.
10.3%conserved
10.3%
conserved · 2,121 of 20,631 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Orwell Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 2011, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Orwell Township.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
12
paid flood claims since 2011
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Orwell Township
18pages on Orwell Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Orwell Township; the nearest are
Binghamton UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Vestal, NY21.6 mi$10,567 in-state tuitionSUNY Broome Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Binghamton, NY26.1 mi$8,624 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Orwell Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Orwell Township for work
Where Orwell Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
216jobs based in Orwell Township
6%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Orwell Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Orwell Township is a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 1,184 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 32 sq mi
Questions about Orwell Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Orwell Township, PA a good place to live?
64% more nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
Is Orwell Township, PA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.