Peters Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C+ overall, ranked 774th of 1032 in Pennsylvania, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 52% of Pennsylvania towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 63% of the country. A typical home there costs about $232K, 3 years of the Chambersburg metro’s $77K median household income. 19% of the land in Peters Township is conserved, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Buchanan State Forest, at 1,839 acres with 5.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Peters Township has 4 places on the National Register.

StrongestA⁻History A⁻Hazard risk

What makes Peters Township stand out

Where Peters Township beats most towns.

Natural hazardsA⁻

Low risk of storm and flood damage

FEMA National Risk Index.

A commuter town

91% of working residents leave Peters Township for work

Where Peters Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

923jobs based in Peters Township

9%of working residents work in town

14 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How Peters Township grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Peters Township is from typical.

How grading works

Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA⁻Open →HealthFulton County Medical Center 7.6 miles awayC⁺Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 3.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC⁺Open →SchoolsB⁻Open →Cost of livingB⁻Open →Jobs & incomeB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

OutdoorsB⁻Open →HistoryA⁻Open →Civic life4 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 →Who lives hereMedian age 43.0; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Church Hill Farm · National Register of Historic Places

Peters Township’s story

Peters Township in pictures

The archive holds 5 maps from 1900 on.

4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Peters Township: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Peters Township, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerWest Penn PowerEIAHIFLD · EIA

WaterBear Valley Joint Auth water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet7 providers85% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Peters Township’s trash rules yet

SchoolsTuscarora School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereFranklin County Board of ElectionsFranklin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025

ZIP codes17236, 17224, 17225, 1725217236 58% · 17224 24% · 17225 13% · 17252 5%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 Peters Township.

OutdoorsB⁻

Peters Township earns a B− for the outdoors

27 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.

#426for trails in PA

19%

conserved · 6,764 of 35,541 acres

27 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Buchanan State Forest	5.3 mi	1,839
2. State Game Lands Number 235	0.1 mi	208
3. State Game Lands Number 124	—	79

Full pagePeters Township’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map27 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk5.3 miles of trail · Buchanan State Forest Conserved land19% conserved · 6,764 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Peters Township?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsB⁻

Peters Township earns a B− for schools

Its public schools are run by Tuscarora SD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is James Buchanan HS, with 721 students.

52%of PA districts it outscoresB⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
James Buchanan MSLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	535	C
James Buchanan HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	721	A

Full pagePeters Township’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsTuscarora SD Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 7 graded neighbors Every school3 schools · James Buchanan HS Questions“Are Peters Township’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B⁻

With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Peters Township’s workers commute out

Most working residents leave Peters Township for work: only 9% work in town. Peters Township’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, above both the Pennsylvania town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Peters Township grew to 923 in 2023, 147 more than in 2013.

9%work in town

	Peters Township	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	30 minutes	26 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	12%	7.6%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	8.8%	6.3%	8%

Where working residents work

In Peters Township9%

Mercersburg10%

Chambersburg10%

Antrim Township7%

Hagerstown4%

14 mi

median commute distance

923

jobs based in Peters Township

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

C+

Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns

Full pagePeters Township’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here923 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work9% work in Peters Township Commute times30 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 14 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A⁻

Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Peters Township

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Peters Township.

24risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanes

paid flood claims since 1996

Full pagePeters Township’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesLow risk Flood claimsSince 1996 Past disasters16 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready1.9 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In Peters Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Peters Township has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. The July high in Peters Township is 87°F.

31″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter24–42°

Spring40–64°

Summer61–85°

Fall43–66°

Oct 25

typical first frost

Apr 18

typical last frost

+1.5°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pagePeters Township’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 22°Rain & snow31″ of snow a winter · 41 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.5° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthC⁺

Peters Township earns a C+ for health

39% of Peters Township adults have obesity. Peters Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 15% of Peters Township adults report frequent physical distress.

37%healthier than U.S. townsC⁺Health Grade

	Peters Township	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	39%	35%	35%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	15%	14%	14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	17%	16%	17%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	38%	38%	36%

26 measures vs. Pennsylvania

0 better22 too close to call4 worse

What stands out	Peters Township	PA
More smokers	19.3%	15.8%
More adults with COPD	9.4%	7.7%
More adults with arthritis	34.5%	30.4%

Fulton County Medical Center

7.6 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

23rd

percentile among PA towns

Full pagePeters Township’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby7.6 miles to an ER · Fulton County Medical Center How adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than PA on 0 of 26

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Nearby attractions

Raven Rock Mountain Complex and 26 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Peters Township. Close and well known come first.

All 59 attractions →

Big draw27 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex

27 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a year

36 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield

35 mi LandmarkGettysburg National Cemetery

39 mi LakeRaystown Lake

33 mi National Military ParkGettysburg National Military Park730K visitors a year

Sources: 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 · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Gettysburg National Military Park: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Peters Township

18pages on Peters Township

The big questions

SchoolsB⁻Beat 52% of PA districts · 3 schools HealthC⁺Better than PA on 0 of 26 CDC measures Cost of livingB⁻Work & commuteB⁻$77K median household income · 923 jobs here Natural hazardsA⁻FEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsB⁻27 mi of trails · 19% conserved land PlacesAttractions59 nearby · Whitetail Resort 10 mi LibraryB⁻St. Thomas Branch Library CollegesWilson College is 13.7 mi away

The story

HistoryA⁻4 on the National Register Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 2,237 residents Climate87° summer highs · 31″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Peters Township

Wilson CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Chambersburg13.7 mi$27,100 tuition

About 4 of every 100 Peters Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

Landmarks

4 places in Peters Township on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Church Hill Farm

Findlay Farm

White House Inn

Widow Donaldson Place

Peters Township’s neighbors

9 towns share a border with Peters Township.

Explore the map →

How the neighbors grade

Town	PA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Peters Township	#774	C⁺	B⁻	—	B⁻	C⁺
Montgomery Township	#889	C	C	—	B⁻	C⁺
Antrim Township	#410	B⁺	B⁻	—	A⁻	B
Ayr Township	—	—	A⁻	—	B⁺	C⁺
Mercersburg	—	—	B⁺	—	B⁻	C⁺
Todd Township	—	—	B⁺	—	B⁺	C⁺
Warren Township	—	—	—	—	—	—
St. Thomas Township	#825	C⁺	B	—	B⁻	C⁺

Ayr Township, Mercersburg and Todd Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Peters Township, Montgomery Township, Antrim Township, Ayr Township, Mercersburg, Todd Township and St. Thomas Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Warren Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Peters Township with a neighbor →

Questions about Peters Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Peters Township, PA a good place to live?

Peters Township grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #774 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health and B− for schools.

Is Peters 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−.

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