Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Punxsutawney ranks 651st of 1032 in Pennsylvania, with a B− overall. Nationally, it does better than 54% of U.S. towns. Walkability is its strong suit (A): it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 90% of U.S. towns. Cost of living is another plus (A−): a typical home costs about $124K, 2.1 years of the county’s $59K median household income. Its weakest subject is incomes — the median household income is $42K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. Hazard risk is weaker too — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Its National Register listings include Jefferson Theater and T. M. Kurtz House. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Punxsutawney beats most towns.
Jefferson Theater
Census counts: 256 in 1850, a peak of 10,311 in 1920, 5,769 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 6 maps from 1906 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Punxsutawney is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Punxsutawney, 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 Punxsutawney.
Punxsutawney is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Pennsylvania (mostly inland flooding).
Punxsutawney’s density of trails comes in at 1.1 miles per square mile. Trails total 3.6 miles in 3 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves locally: 3, covering 18 acres.
| Punxsutawney | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Punxsy Ball Park | 0.4 mi | 14 |
| 2. Barclay Square | 0.3 mi | 2 |
| 3. Harmond Field | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Punxsutawney Area SD runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Punxsutawney Area HS, with 810 students. 2 public schools serve Punxsutawney, with 1,895 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punxsutawney Area El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 1,085 | B |
| Punxsutawney Area HSLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 810 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
At 2.1 years of the county’s $59K median household income, the typical home (about $124K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. At about $124K, home values are up 2% in five years, against a rise of 23% across Pennsylvania.
In Punxsutawney, the rent at the middle of the market is $775 a month, against $1,116 a month in Pennsylvania’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 52% of households are owner-occupiers in the town. Homes locally are typically worth about $124,000, down 0.6% in a year, 57% below the Pennsylvania typical home.
| Punxsutawney | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $775 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of Pennsylvania towns, with expected losses of about $419 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on. 93 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, Punxsutawney has seen 93 flood insurance claims paid out. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 85% come from inland flooding. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2004.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect July afternoons of 82° and January nights of 17°, with about 35 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 3,101 U.S. towns with household incomes like Punxsutawney’s, it is healthier than 85%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
The share of adults in Punxsutawney who binge drink: 17%. Among adults in the town, 15% report frequent physical distress, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 14%. In Punxsutawney, 18% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 22% say their health is fair or poor.
| Punxsutawney | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Punxsutawney | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.7% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 7.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based in Punxsutawney grew to 2,504 in 2023, 183 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Young Township (8%), Sandy Township (3%) and White Township (3%). For half of commuters, work is under 16 miles away.
| Punxsutawney | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Punxsutawney’s level of violent crime stands at 2 per 1,000 residents. Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Punxsutawney sits closer to the middle.
| Punxsutawney | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.5 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Punxsutawney; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Punxsutawney residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
4 places in Punxsutawney on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Punxsutawney.
Borough in the United States
Punxsutawney (; Lenape: Punkwsutènay) is a borough in southern Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,769. It is located approximately 84 miles (135 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. Punxsutawney is known for its annual Groundhog Day celebration held each February 2, during which thousands of attendees and media outlets visit the community for an annual weather "prediction" by the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Punxsutawney.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punxsutawney | #651 | B− | A− | B | B− | C+ |
| Young Township | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C |
| Bell Township | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C− |
Young Township and Bell Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Young Township and Bell Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Punxsutawney with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Punxsutawney grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #651 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health, B for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Punxsutawney sits nearer the middle.
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−.
17 notable people were born here, including Britt Baker and Devin Mesoraco.
