Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
86% more nonprofits per person than the typical Pennsylvania town.
Potter Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B overall, ranked 523rd of 1032 in Pennsylvania, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 79% of Pennsylvania towns. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 65% of the country. A typical home there costs about $283K, 3.8 years of the State College metro’s $74K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. 32% of the land in Potter Township is conserved, above both the Pennsylvania town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Rothrock State Forest, 6,076 acres with 18.5 miles of trail. On civic life, just 25 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns do better.
Where Potter Township beats most towns.
Maj. John Neff HomesteadCensus counts: 3,339 in 2000, 3,614 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1825 and 4 maps from 1924 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Potter Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Potter Township, 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 Potter Township.
Its 11,854 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 92% of Pennsylvania towns.
47 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. At 0.8 miles per square mile, Potter Township’s trail density is above both Pennsylvania’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rothrock State Forest | 18.5 mi | 6,076 |
| 2. Bald Eagle State Forest | 14.2 mi | 2,881 |
| 3. Tri-Municipal Park | 2.9 mi | 162 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windy Poplars School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades 1–8 | Grades 1–8 | 27 | – |
| Meadows School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 42 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Potter Township’s median age is 57.2 years. People 65 and older are 34% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 10% of residents (22% statewide). 14% of residents are under 18 in Potter Township.
| Potter Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.2 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 29% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.7 points). Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Potter Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.5% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.9% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.8% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.4% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.7% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.2% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.3% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,600, single groups can be off by several points
Most working residents leave Potter Township for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Potter Township fell to 967 in 2023, 175 fewer than in 2013. 5.1% of Potter Township residents live below the poverty line.
| Potter Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Potter Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Potter Township is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Potter Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 3.
| Potter Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 38% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 80% | 79% | 79% |
| What stands out | Potter Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.7% | 85.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Potter Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
10 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
31 mi LakeRaystown Lake
11 mi MuseumPalmer Museum of Art35 mi Theme parkDelGrosso's Amusement Park
7 mi MuseumPennsylvania Military MuseumBeaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pennsylvania Military Museum: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Potter Township
About 1 of every 100 Potter Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Potter Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 places in Potter Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Potter Township is a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Penns Valley and the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,614 at the 2020 census. Communities in Potter Township include Black Hawk, Centre Hill, Colyer, Fruittown, Old Fort, Potter Mills, Red Mill, and Tusseyville.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Potter Township.
Armagh Township next door grades lower for schools (C to Potter Township’s A−) and higher for cost of living (A to C+).
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter Township | #523 | B | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
| Benner Township | #461 | B+ | C+ | — | B+ | B+ |
| Gregg Township | — | — | B− | — | A− | B− |
| Armagh Township | #759 | C+ | A | A | C | D |
| Spring Township | #187 | A | C | A+ | B+ | B+ |
| Harris Township | #305 | A− | D | — | A | A |
Gregg Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Potter Township, Benner Township, Gregg Township and Harris Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Potter Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Potter Township grades B overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #523 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
