Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,359, settled in 1807.
The best of Smethport’s subject grades are an A+ for safety and cost of living and an A− for civic life; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 3 of Pennsylvania’s 634 towns score higher on safety. Smethport is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. On incomes, just 33 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do worse. Only 140 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score higher on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Hamlin Park, at 27 acres. Smethport has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Smethport beats most towns.
Census counts: 313 in 1860, 1,436 in 2020. The archive holds 41 old photos and papers going back to 1858 and 2 maps from 1933 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Smethport is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smethport, 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 Smethport.
At 0 per 1,000 residents, Smethport’s property crime rate is below both Pennsylvania’s towns (5.7) and U.S. towns (9.9). Smethport reports less crime per resident than 100% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| Smethport | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by Smethport Area SD. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Smethport Area JSHS, with 345 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smethport Area El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 363 | B |
| Smethport Area JSHSLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 345 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
The typical Smethport home is worth about $113,000, down 3.7% in a year, 61% below the Pennsylvania typical home. At $762 a month, Smethport’s median rent is against $1,115 a month in Pennsylvania’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Smethport | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $762 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 26% of residents (20% statewide). Smethport has lost 4.4% of its people since 2020, down to 1,359 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Smethport’s median age is 44.8 years.
| Smethport | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.8 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Smethport | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.9% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.4% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.4% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.7% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.3% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.3% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.3% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.3% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.4% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smethport.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Smethport has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Smethport is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Smethport’s working residents works in town. 19% of Smethport residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Smethport has lost 114 jobs, to 781 in 2023.
| Smethport | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Smethport | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hamlin Park | — | 27 |
| 2. Hamlin Lake Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Smethport beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 38% of adults have high blood pressure in Smethport.
| Smethport | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 79% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Smethport | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 9.7% | 7.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10% | 7.7% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.6% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Smethport
About 6 of every 100 Smethport residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
1,655 counted in 2010 and 1,436 in 2020; an estimated 1,359 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
4 notable people were born in Smethport.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Smethport is a borough in and the county seat of McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The mayor is Wayne V. Foltz. The population was 1,436 at the 2020 census. Smethport is part of the Bradford, PA micropolitan statistical area. Smethport holds the record of having had the coldest temperature ever recorded in Pennsylvania: −42 °F (−41 °C) on January 5, 1904.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
4 notable people were born here, including Albert W. Johnson and Bob Hill.
