Hardman Philips House · National Register of Historic Places
Rush Township’s story
Rush Township in pictures
The archive holds 7 maps from 1922 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Rush TownshipCentre County, PA
A town of 3,556.
10 bordering townsMap →
Hardman Philips House · Photo: Pubdog · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,556
2025 Census estimate · −3.3% since 2020
Median home value
$159K
Census ACS
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
52.6
years
Jobs based here
1,340
Balanced
TownGrade
C+
#757 of 1032 in PA
Is Rush Township a good place to live?
Rush Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $158K, 2.1 years of the State College metro’s $74K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 757th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 77% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, it has 181 miles of trail and 61% conserved land. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. 61% of the land in Rush Township is conserved, against 8.2% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Moshannon State Forest, 31,080 acres with 105.1 miles of trail. On history, just 126 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better.
What makes Rush Township stand out
Where Rush Township beats most towns.
Get outside
181 miles of trails in Rush Township
61.4% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Rush Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Rush Township is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 8.8% of households have no car; 0.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 22% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →HealthPenn Highlands Tyrone 11.3 miles awayC−Open →Jobs & incomeC+Open →SchoolsB−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 Rush Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rush Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPenelecEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterPaw Philipsburg water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rush 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 codes16866, 16677, 16666, 1686016866 74% · 16677 11% · 16666 10% · 16860 4%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 Rush Township.
Rush Township keeps more of its land conserved than most of Pennsylvania and trades workers with College Township and other neighbors.
OutdoorsA
Nearly a third of Rush Township is conserved land
Its 57,953 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in any other Pennsylvania town.
181 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. Rush Township’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
#172for trails in PA
61.4%
conserved · 57,953 of 94,374 acres
181 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Moshannon State Forest | 105.1 mi | 31,080 |
| 2. State Game Lands Number 33 | 34.7 mi | 15,974 |
| 3. Black Moshannon State Park | 19.4 mi | 3,382 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Rush Township beat 52% of Pennsylvania districts
Its public schools are run by Philipsburg-Osceola Area SD. Its one school is below.
52%of PA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philipsburg El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 423 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
Compared with most of Pennsylvania and the rest of the country, more of Rush Township’s adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance
12% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Rush Township. Rush Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Rush Township.
23%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Rush Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 6.9% | 8.1% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better14 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Rush Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 12.4% | 5.8% |
| More smokers | 20.9% | 15.8% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 24% | 18.7% |
Penn Highlands Tyrone
11.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
11th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Rush Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 32 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rush Township.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
32
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Rush Township, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical Pennsylvania or U.S. town
The July high in Rush Township is 78°F. Rush Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–34°
Spring35–56°
Summer56–77°
Fall40–58°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About one in nine working residents works right in Rush Township
Rush Township has about as many jobs (1,340) as working residents, but only 155 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 968 in 2013 to 1,340.
Most working residents leave Rush Township for work: only 11% work in town. Rush Township’s average trip to work is 30 minutes. Since 2013, Rush Township has added 372 jobs, to 1,340 in 2023.
11%work in town
| Rush Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rush Township11%
College Township12%
Decatur Township6%
State College5%
Ferguson Township5%
19 mi
median commute distance
1,340
jobs based in Rush Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 22% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Beaver Stadium and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rush Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
29 mi LakeRaystown Lake
17 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
27 mi Theme parkLakemont Park
32 mi National Historic SiteAllegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site163K visitors a year15 mi Theme parkDelGrosso's Amusement ParkSources: 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 · 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rush Township
18pages on Rush Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Rush Township; the nearest are
Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Park16.8 mi$20,644 in-state tuitionCentral Pennsylvania Institute of Science and TechnologyCommunity college · Public · Pleasant Gap23.3 mi
About 4 of every 100 Rush Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Landmarks
5 places in Rush Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
.jpg){kind=link}
Rush Township’s neighbors
10 towns share a border with Rush Township.
Decatur TownshipGulich TownshipWoodward TownshipMorris TownshipCooper TownshipPhilipsburgHawk RunNorth PhilipsburgCasanovaWinburneRush Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Township | #757 | C+ | A− | — | B− | C− |
| Decatur Township | #588 | B | A | — | B− | C− |
| Gulich Township | — | — | A | — | B+ | C |
| Woodward Township | #551 | B | A+ | — | B+ | C |
| Morris Township | #892 | C | A | — | C | C+ |
| Cooper Township | #714 | B− | B+ | — | C | B− |
| Philipsburg | #583 | B | A+ | — | B− | C− |
| Hawk Run | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Gulich Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Rush Township, Decatur Township, Gulich Township, Woodward Township, Morris Township, Cooper Township and Philipsburg report no FBI crime data of their own. Hawk Run isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rush Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Rush Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rush Township, PA a good place to live?
Rush Township grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #757 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C− for health and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Rush Township, PA expensive?
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−.