Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,551, settled in 1827.
Slippery Rock is one of the best-graded places in America: an A, ranked 150th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Its public schools beat 92% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation, it reports less crime per resident than 85% of U.S. towns, and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Slippery Rock, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (7.6%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Slippery Rock is more walkable than 94% of U.S. towns. Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 1 have a lower share of households owning their home than Slippery Rock.
Where Slippery Rock beats most towns.
3,625 counted in 2010 and 3,081 in 2020; an estimated 3,551 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 11.5% since 2020, after a 15% drop in the decade before.
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 Slippery Rock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 278 in 1850, a peak of 4,949 in 1970, 3,081 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 5 maps from 1913 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Slippery Rock, 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 Slippery Rock.
Slippery Rock is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s.
40.9% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.1% statewide, which pulls the median age down. Only 26.9% of households own their home, against 69.3% across Pennsylvania.
11% of Slippery Rock residents are under 18. Slippery Rock has grown 11% since 2020, to 3,551 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. The median age in Slippery Rock is 23.3 years.
| Slippery Rock | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 23.3 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 11% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 7.9% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 29% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Median age: women 24.3, men 21.9.
| Slippery Rock | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.7% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 46.2% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.4% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 3.3% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.5% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.7% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.5% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.9% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.2% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.2% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,600, single groups can be off by several points
Slippery Rock’s FEMA risk score is 1 of 100. Since 1996, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Slippery Rock.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Slippery Rock Community Park, at 28 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Slippery Rock | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Slippery Rock Community Park | 1.2 mi | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 6.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 69% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 6,548 U.S. towns with household incomes like Slippery Rock’s, it is healthier than 96%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Slippery Rock beats the Pennsylvania average on 9 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 22% of adults report frequent mental distress in Slippery Rock. Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Slippery Rock.
| Slippery Rock | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 34% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Slippery Rock | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 8.8% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.1% | 11.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.7% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Slippery Rock has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 18° and about 35 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 2,227 in 2013 to 825.
Most working residents leave Slippery Rock for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Slippery Rock has lost 1,402 jobs, to 825 in 2023. The top destinations are Pittsburgh (16%), Slippery Rock Township (7%) and Butler (3%).
| Slippery Rock | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3 within 15 miles of the center of Slippery Rock
College town 41 of every 100 Slippery Rock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Slippery Rock is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The population was 3,558 at the 2020 census. Slippery Rock is included in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. The area is home to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, partially in the borough limits, and attended by nearly 9,000 students as a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Slippery Rock.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slippery Rock | #150 | A | C+ | A | A | B+ |
| Slippery Rock University | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Slippery Rock University isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Slippery Rock with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Slippery Rock grades A overall, better than 93% of U.S. towns and #150 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health, A for safety and A for schools.
The typical home is worth about $255,000, 11% 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 C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Rob Schmidt and Jence Ann Rhoads.