Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Shippensburg gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $178K, 2.2 years of the Harrisburg metro’s $81K median household income. It grades B overall, 557th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 95% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. 44% of households own their home in Shippensburg, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 78% and U.S. towns at 73%. On history, just 55 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is Veterans Memorial Park, at 28 acres.
Where Shippensburg beats most towns.
Widow Piper's Tavern
John Hamilton
Census counts: 1,159 in 1810, 5,478 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1789 and 4 maps from 1923 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 Shippensburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shippensburg, 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 Shippensburg.
Shippensburg is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has homes that are cheap against local pay and trades workers with Chambersburg and other neighbors.
Against the 6,309 U.S. towns with household incomes like Shippensburg’s, it is less healthy than 52%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Shippensburg. Shippensburg beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Shippensburg.
| Shippensburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Shippensburg | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.4% | 8.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 9.6% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Shippensburg Area SD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Shippensburg Area SHS, with 1,097 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shippensburg Area MSLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 851 | C |
| Shippensburg Area SHSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,097 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Only 44.2% of households own their home, against 69.3% across Pennsylvania.
Adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 30% of residents (22% statewide). 35% of Shippensburg adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Shippensburg has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 5,615 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Shippensburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.9 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Shippensburg | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.5% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 21.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.5% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.5% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.3% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.5% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.2% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.8% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.1% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Shippensburg has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 75 to 41 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Shippensburg sits closer to the middle.
| Shippensburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.7 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Shippensburg has about as many jobs (2,264) as working residents, but only 252 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 19.8 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Most working residents leave Shippensburg for work: only 11% work in town. The average trip to work in Shippensburg is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Chambersburg (9%), Southampton Township (6%) and Carlisle (5%).
| Shippensburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Shippensburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 2.2 years of the Harrisburg metro’s $81K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 87% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
Shippensburg’s median rent is $891 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Shippensburg. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
21 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
23 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
12 mi State parkPine Grove Furnace State Park
22 mi LandmarkGettysburg National Cemetery
20 mi National Military ParkGettysburg National Military Park730K visitors a yearRaven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Pine Grove Furnace State Park: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain · Gettysburg National Military Park: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Shippensburg
About 7 of every 100 Shippensburg residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
6 places in Shippensburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in Shippensburg.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Shippensburg is a borough in Cumberland and Franklin counties in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Settled in 1730, Shippensburg lies in the Cumberland Valley, 41 miles (66 km) southwest of Harrisburg, and is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area. The population was 5,478 at the 2020 census. Shippensburg was incorporated as a borough on January 21, 1819. In the past, there were furniture factories, engine and pump works, and other industrial works located within the town. Shippensburg is the home of the Beistle Company, the oldest manufacturer of decorations and party goods in the U.S. In May 2012, Volvo Construction Equipment began a $100 million expansion project to bring its Amer…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Shippensburg.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shippensburg | #557 | B | B+ | B | B | C− |
| Shippensburg Township | – | A− | A | — | B | C |
| Southampton Township | #402 | B+ | A | — | B | C |
| Shippensburg University | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Shippensburg Township and Southampton Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Shippensburg University isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Shippensburg with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Shippensburg grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #557 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C− for health, B for safety and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Shippensburg sits nearer the middle.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $178,000, 38% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
18 notable people were born here, including John Hamilton and Samuel D. Sturgis.
