Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,122, settled in 1820.
Shenandoah gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $66K, 1 years of the Pottsville area’s $68K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 939th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $45K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Shenandoah, above both the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Shenandoah is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Only 5 of the 314 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Shenandoah.
Where Shenandoah beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
5,071 counted in 2010 and 4,243 in 2020; an estimated 4,122 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Shenandoah is from typical.
Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 90% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 4%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,951 in 1870, a peak of 25,774 in 1910, 4,243 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1888 and 5 maps from 1892 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shenandoah, 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 Shenandoah.
Shenandoah has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has homes that are cheap against local pay and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s.
At 1 years of the Pottsville area’s $68K median household income, the typical home (about $66K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living. Values fell 4.1% in the past year while the Pennsylvania typical home rose 2.2%.
The typical Shenandoah home is worth about $66,000, 77% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Typical home values fell 4.1% in the year to September 2026. 67% of Shenandoah households own their home.
| Shenandoah | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $982 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Shenandoah Valley SD. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Shenandoah Valley JSHS, with 546 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah Valley El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 726 | C |
| Shenandoah Valley JSHSLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 546 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Shenandoah. Shenandoah beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 30% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Shenandoah.
| Shenandoah | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Shenandoah | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 15.7% | 5.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.2% | 14.5% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 29.7% | 18.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Shenandoah.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here fell from 1,422 in 2013 to 995.
Most working residents leave Shenandoah for work: only 8% work in town. Shenandoah’s average trip to work is 30 minutes. Since 2013, Shenandoah has lost 427 jobs, to 995 in 2023.
| Shenandoah | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Mahanoy City 2 N weather station records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Shenandoah has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Shenandoah is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 23.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 82% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Shenandoah | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bicentennial Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Girard Park | — | 1 |
| 3. Vine Street Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Shenandoah. Close and well known come first.
39 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
21 mi Park & preserveRoadside America
36 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
16 mi Park & preserveHawk Mountain Sanctuary
31 mi State parkHickory Run State ParkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, 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 · Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hickory Run State Park: Mtruch, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Shenandoah
About 2 of every 100 Shenandoah residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Shenandoah’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
22 notable people were born in Shenandoah.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Shenandoah is a borough in Schuylkill County in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. It is distinct from Shenandoah Heights, which is part of West Mahanoy Township immediately to the north. As of 2021, the borough's population was 4,247. Shenandoah is located approximately 53.5 miles (86.1 km) northwest of Allentown, 102.3 miles (164.6 km) northwest of Philadelphia, and 144.5 miles (232.6 km) miles west of New York City.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Shenandoah.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah | #939 | C− | A | C+ | C− | D− |
| West Mahanoy Township | #828 | C+ | A− | A− | C− | C− |
| Mahanoy Township | #695 | B− | A+ | A+ | D | D |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Shenandoah grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #939 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Shenandoah 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.
22 notable people were born here, including Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey.
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