Map of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Highlighting Rush Township, 2008
Rush Township’s story
215 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2008 and 8 maps from 1889 on.
- 1811Rush Township is incorporated
Rush TownshipSchuylkill County, PA
A town of 3,516, incorporated in 1811.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0
Population
3,516
2025 Census estimate · +2.8% since 2020
Median home value
$208K
Census ACS
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
49.2
years
Jobs based here
2,060
A job hub
TownGrade
C
#909 of 1032 in PA
Is Rush Township a good place to live?
Rush Township's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C, 909th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. It has 15 miles of trail. Its weakest subject is health: residents are less healthy than 76% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Rush Township’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, against 26 minutes in Pennsylvania’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. On civic life, just 105 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is State Game Lands Number 227, at 1,486 acres.
What makes Rush Township stand out
Where Rush Township beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,966 people come to Rush Township for work
Where Rush Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,060jobs based in Rush Township
7%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Rush Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Rush Township is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA+Open →HealthSt. Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital 3.5 miles awayC−Open →Jobs & income$76K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $208K, 3 years of the Pottsville area’s $68K median household incomeBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 1.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors15% conserved landAOpen →HistoryIncorporated 1811B+Open →Civic life0.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTamaqua Area Water Authority5 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offTamaqua Transfer & Recycling, 3 miOpenStreetMap
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 hereSchuylkill County Board of ElectionsSchuylkill County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes18252, 18214, 18240, 1824518252 58% · 18214 17% · 18240 15% · 18245 10%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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most working residents commute out of Rush Township
2,060 jobs are based in Rush Township, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 35.6 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Most working residents leave Rush Township for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Rush Township grew to 2,060 in 2023, 476 more than in 2013. 12% of Rush Township residents live below the poverty line.
7%work in town
| Rush Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rush Township7%
Hazle Township10%
Tamaqua4%
West Hazleton4%
Hazleton4%
14 mi
median commute distance
2,060
jobs based in Rush Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 46% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC+
Rush Township’s schools rank behind 61% of Pennsylvania districts
Its two schools are below.
39%of PA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Jerome Regional School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 312 | – |
| Marian Catholic High School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 283 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Rush Township stands out in Pennsylvania and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
The FEMA risk score in Rush Township is 2 of 100. Since 1978, 32 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rush Township.
2risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHurricanes
32
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
#361for trails in PA
14.8%
conserved · 2,281 of 15,405 acres
15 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tuscarora State Park | 4.1 mi | 726 |
| 2. State Game Lands Number 227 | 0.6 mi | 1,486 |
| 3. Ryan Memorial Park | — | 27 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthC−
For health, Rush Township earns a C−
20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Rush Township. Rush Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Rush Township.
24%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Rush Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 19% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better16 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Rush Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.2% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 20.4% | 15.8% |
St. Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital
3.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
11th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Rush Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Rush Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Rush Township’s July high is 81°F.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–79°
Fall41–60°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Pennsylvania overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (38% statewide). Rush Township has grown 2.8% since 2020, to 3,516 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
49.2median age · PA 40.9
| Rush Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.2 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 29% | 29% |
Rush TownshipPennsylvaniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school36%
Some college16%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Rush Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.8% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.6% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.4% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.7% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 16% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.4% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.1% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.8% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,500, single groups can be off by several points
Nearby attractions
All 82 attractions →Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rush Township. Close and well known come first.
30 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom28 mi Theme parkKnoebels Amusement Resort
31 mi Stadium & arenaPPL Center
25 mi Park & preserveRoadside America
37 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
20 mi State parkHickory Run State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PPL Center: Hunter Kahn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Roadside America: Mark Fleisher, President and CEO of Aim Advertising in Lewisburg, PA,, Public domain · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · Hickory Run State Park: Mtruch, CC BY-SA 3.0
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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
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rush Township
About 5 of every 100 Rush Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
About Rush Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Rush Township is a township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,423 at the 2020 census. The township is served by Tamaqua Area School District and Mahanoy Area School District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 24 sq mi
Rush Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Rush Township.
Delano TownshipKline TownshipRyan TownshipPacker TownshipGrier CityRush Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Township | #909 | C | B | — | C+ | C− |
| Delano Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kline Township | — | — | A | B− | C− | D |
| Ryan Township | #673 | B− | B+ | A+ | D | C |
| Packer Township | — | — | B | — | C+ | C |
| Grier City | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Kline Township and Packer Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Rush Township and Packer Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Delano Township and Grier City aren’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 26% of U.S. towns and #909 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C− for health and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Rush 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.