Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Where it does best is cost of living (A+): a typical home costs about $165K, 2.2 years of the State College metro’s $74K median household income. Philipsburg grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 583rd of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Add walkability to its strengths (B+): it is more walkable than nearly two thirds of U.S. towns. The catch is health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. Incomes is weaker too (C+) — the median household income is $48K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. Its trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile, above both the Pennsylvania town median (0.4) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · OpenStreetMap.
Where Philipsburg beats most towns.
Union Church and Burial Ground
Census counts: 1,086 in 1870, a peak of 3,988 in 1950, 2,789 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 7 maps from 1922 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 Philipsburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Philipsburg, 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 Philipsburg.
Philipsburg trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is one of Pennsylvania’s best towns for the outdoors.
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #2 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania.
There are 2.9 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Philipsburg: 2, covering 3 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cold Stream Dam Recreation Area | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 2. South Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Philipsburg-Osceola Area HS, with 525 students. Philipsburg-Osceola Area SD runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philipsburg-Osceola Area HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 525 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Homes are within reach (about $165K for the typical one, A+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 20 miles. At 2.2 years of the State College metro’s $74K median household income, the typical home (about $165K) costs less against local pay than in 87% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living.
A typical home in Philipsburg is worth about $165,000, about the same as a year ago, 42% below the Pennsylvania typical home. 52% of households own their home here.
| Philipsburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $645 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 4,938 U.S. towns with household incomes like Philipsburg’s, it is healthier than 55%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
20% of Philipsburg adults report frequent mental distress. Philipsburg: 21% of adults smoke cigarettes.
| Philipsburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Philipsburg | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.6% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 21.4% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 6% of working residents stay in Philipsburg for work; the rest commute out. The share of residents in Philipsburg who live below the poverty line: 13%. The town had 657 jobs in 2023, down 71 from 2013. The top destinations are College Township (11%), Rush Township (9%) and Decatur Township (6%).
| Philipsburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In July, afternoons reach 82°; in January, nights fall to 18°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 54% of U.S. communities. 88% of Philipsburg’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. Also worth knowing: households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2004.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Philipsburg. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
33 mi LakeRaystown Lake
19 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
31 mi Theme parkLakemont Park
35 mi National Historic SiteAllegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site163K visitors a year
28 mi MuseumRailroaders Memorial MuseumBeaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lakemont Park: Bhakta Dano. Original uploader was Oldano at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site: Matthew A. Lynn; Original uploader was Mosamiazaz at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Railroaders Memorial Museum: Mark Frederick, CC0
None within 15 miles of Philipsburg; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Philipsburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Philipsburg’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Philipsburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Philipsburg is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania. It is located at 40°53′42″N 78°13′09″W (40.895, -78.2193). It is part of the Moshannon Valley and State College, Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical area. The borough's population was 2,770 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Philipsburg.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philipsburg | #583 | B | A+ | — | B− | C− |
| Rush Township | #757 | C+ | A− | — | B− | C− |
| Chester Hill | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Philipsburg | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South Philipsburg | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Decatur Township | #588 | B | A | — | B− | C− |
Philipsburg, Rush Township and Decatur Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Chester Hill, North Philipsburg and South Philipsburg aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Philipsburg with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Philipsburg grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #583 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
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