Salem United Church of Christ NE of Spring Mills PA, 2016
Penn Township’s story
Penn Township in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1874.
Explore the history →Penn TownshipPA
A town of 1,194.
Population
1,194
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Median home value
$255K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
350
Balanced
Is Penn Township a good place to live?
Penn Township’s best subject grades are an A− for schools and an A for the outdoors; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Penn Township’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 4 of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a higher share of children under 18 than Penn Township. Penn Township is more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns. 32% of the land in Penn Township is conserved, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Bald Eagle State Forest, at 4,876 acres with 20 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Penn Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Penn Township stand out
Where Penn Township beats most towns.
OutdoorsA
32.2% conserved land
Penns Valley Area SD schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Penns Valley Area El and Intrmd Sch | K–6 | 348 |
| Shady Meadow School | 1–8 | 24 |
| Woodside Amish School | 1–8 | 22 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
7.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Small town
1,194 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MillheimGregg TownshipHaines TownshipMiles TownshipPenn Township
How Penn Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Penn Township is from typical.
SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 10.8% of households have no carB+Open →Jobs & income$70K median household incomeCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $255K, 3.4 years of the State College metro’s $74K median household incomeCOpen →HealthGeisinger-Lewistown Hospital 20.5 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
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 Penn Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Penn Township, and how to reach them.
PowerWest Penn PowerEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterPenn Twp Water DistNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Penn 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 hereCentre County Board of ElectionsCentre County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP codes16875, 16832, 1685416875 62% · 16832 32% · 16854 7%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 Penn Township.
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Penn Township
25 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in Penn Township is 0.9 miles per square mile.
32.2%conserved
32.2%
conserved · 5,792 of 17,987 acres
25 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bald Eagle State Forest | 20 mi | 4,876 |
| 2. Poe Valley State Park | 2.1 mi | 601 |
| 3. Penns Creek Wild Area | — | 194 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA−
On state tests, Penn Township’s schools beat 79% of Pennsylvania districts
Its public schools are run by Penns Valley Area SD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Penns Valley Area JSHS, with 632 students.
79%of PA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penns Valley Area El and Intrmd SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 348 | B+ |
| Penns Valley Area JSHSLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 632 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Penn Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Penn Township
Penn Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Penn Township’s July high is 82°F.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–37°
Spring37–59°
Summer59–80°
Fall42–62°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Penn Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Penn Township for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Penn Township grew to 350 in 2023, 69 more than in 2013. 8.1% of workers work from home in Penn Township.
8%work in town
| Penn Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 8.1% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Penn Township8%
College Township16%
State College6%
Millheim5%
Ferguson Township5%
19 mi
median commute distance
350
jobs based in Penn Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB−
Health in Penn Township trails 54% of U.S. towns
Penn Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 20% of Penn Township adults binge drink.
46%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Penn Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better23 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Penn Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 18.8% | 15.8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 7.4% |
Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital
20.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 42 attractions →Beaver Stadium and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Penn Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
20 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
20 mi MuseumPalmer Museum of Art
36 mi MuseumFort Augusta
17 mi MuseumPennsylvania Military Museum
20 mi GardenThe Arboretum at Penn StateSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Beaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Augusta: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Pennsylvania Military Museum: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Arboretum at Penn State: Daderot, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Penn Township
18pages on Penn Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Penn Township
About 1 of every 100 Penn Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Penn Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Penn Township is a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,214 at the 2020 census. Poe Valley State Park is in Penn Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 28 sq mi
Questions about Penn Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Penn 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 C.