Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Pennsylvania. A town settled in 1841, now home to 8,349 people.
A strong record with one exception. Schools are its strong suit: its public schools beat 92% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. It is strong on cost of living as well: a typical home costs about $273K, 3.6 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household income. The drawback is incomes (D): the median household income is $57K, and nearly a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. All told, that adds up to a B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns. That places it 426th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Slippery Rock Township is home to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Only 7 of the 1,035 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower median age than Slippery Rock Township.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24.
Where Slippery Rock Township beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Slippery Rock Area El Sch | K–5 | 453 |
| Slippery Rock Area MS | 6–8 | 404 |
| Slippery Rock Area HS | 9–12 | 627 |
5,614 counted in 2010 and 6,806 in 2020; an estimated 8,349 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 24.7% since 2020, after 21.2% 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 Township 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 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1913 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Slippery Rock Township, 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 Township.
Slippery Rock Township pairs an A for schools with modest home prices, is shaped by its college students and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
43.1% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.1% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
The share of residents in Slippery Rock Township who are under 18 is 8.7%, below both the Pennsylvania town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Slippery Rock Township at 8,349 residents, up 25% since 2020. 14% of residents are 65 or older in the town. Adults 18 to 34 are 54% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 23% of residents (38% statewide).
| Slippery Rock Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 8.7% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 22.3 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 21% | 18% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 78% are men (PA 50%).
| Slippery Rock Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.4% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 46.8% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.1% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.1% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.5% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 47.5% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.3% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.7% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
That grade comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $273K.
Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by Slippery Rock Area SD. The largest public high school is Slippery Rock Area HS, with 627 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slippery Rock Area El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 453 | A |
| Slippery Rock Area HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 627 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
The biggest place to walk is Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area, 227 acres with 1.7 miles of trail. Count the trails in 3 parks and preserves and they come to 13 miles. Parks and preserves in Slippery Rock Township: 3, covering 348 acres.
| Slippery Rock Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area | 1.7 mi | 227 |
| 2. Miller Woods Nature Preserve | 1.1 mi | 40 |
| 3. ARMCO Park | — | 81 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Slippery Rock Township comes to 22 of 100. Since 1979, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out here. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 83% come from inland flooding and 5% from tornadoes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For Slippery Rock Township, the July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 719 in 2013 to 1,729.
Jobs based in Slippery Rock Township grew to 1,729 in 2023, 1,010 more than in 2013. For most workers, Slippery Rock Township is a place to come home to: only 6% work in town. Also worth knowing: the share of residents in Slippery Rock Township who live below the poverty line is 23%, against 7.6% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Pittsburgh (18%), Butler Township (4%) and Slippery Rock (3%).
| Slippery Rock Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 7,896 U.S. towns with household incomes like Slippery Rock Township’s, it is healthier than 80%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
This Pennsylvania town does better than the Pennsylvania average on 7 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 6. The share of adults in Slippery Rock Township who smoke cigarettes: 17%. Two figures for adults in the town: 26% have high blood pressure, 28% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Slippery Rock Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Slippery Rock Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 8.8% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.6% | 11.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.4% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Slippery Rock Township
College town 43 of every 100 Slippery Rock Township 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)
6 towns share a border with Slippery Rock Township.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slippery Rock Township | #426 | B+ | B+ | — | A | B− |
| Worth Township | — | — | A | — | A | B− |
| Brady Township | — | — | A+ | — | A | B− |
| West Liberty | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mercer Township | — | — | A− | — | A | C+ |
| Liberty Township | — | — | B− | — | A− | B |
| Cherry Township | — | — | A− | — | B | C+ |
Worth Township, Brady Township, Mercer Township, Liberty Township and Cherry Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Slippery Rock Township, Worth Township, Brady Township, Mercer Township, Liberty Township and Cherry Township report no FBI crime data of their own. West Liberty isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Slippery Rock Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Slippery Rock Township grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #426 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B− for health and A for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.