Crossing the Stream, 2007
Snow Shoe’s story
186 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
- 1840Snow Shoe is settled
Snow ShoePA
Population
652
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Median home value
$178K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
43.3
years
Jobs based here
161
A commuter town
Is Snow Shoe a good place to live?
Snow Shoe’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, above both the Pennsylvania town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Snow Shoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Snow Shoe stand out
Where Snow Shoe beats most towns.
Small town
652 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
ClarenceSnow Shoe
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Snow Shoe: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Snow Shoe, and how to reach them.
PowerPenelecEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterMountaintop Reg Water AuthNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Snow Shoe’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCentre County Board of ElectionsCentre County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code1687416874 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Snow Shoe.
Work & commute
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Snow Shoe’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Snow Shoe for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Snow Shoe has added 27 jobs, to 161 in 2023. The top destinations are College Township (16%), State College (8%) and Ferguson Township (6%).
5%work in town
| Snow Shoe | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Snow Shoe5%
College Township16%
State College8%
Ferguson Township6%
Bellefonte5%
16 mi
median commute distance
161
jobs based in Snow Shoe
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Snow Shoe’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Bald Eagle Area SD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaintop Area El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 104 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Snow Shoe faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Snow Shoe since 1984.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 1984
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Snow Shoe
Snow Shoe has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Snow Shoe’s July high is 80°F, against 85°F in Pennsylvania’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–35°
Spring36–57°
Summer57–78°
Fall41–60°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 21
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Snow Shoe is
Snow Shoe beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 20% of Snow Shoe adults smoke cigarettes.
| Snow Shoe | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better19 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Snow Shoe | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.6% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 19.9% | 15.8% |
Mount Nittany Medical Center
15.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 20 attractions →Beaver Stadium and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Snow Shoe. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
16 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
16 mi MuseumPalmer Museum of Art33 mi Theme parkDelGrosso's Amusement Park
16 mi GardenThe Arboretum at Penn State
35 mi MuseumFort RoberdeauSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Beaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Arboretum at Penn State: Daderot, Public domain · Fort Roberdeau: Pubdog (talk), Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Snow Shoe
17pages on Snow Shoe
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Snow Shoe
About 1 of every 100 Snow Shoe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Snow Shoe for work
Where Snow Shoe’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
161jobs based in Snow Shoe
5%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Snow Shoe
Borough in Pennsylvania, United States
Snow Shoe is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Snow Shoe had a population of 670. According to tradition, Snow Shoe was so named when a pair of snowshoes were found at an Indian village near the present town site.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1850
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,601 ft
- ZIP code
- 16874
Questions about Snow Shoe
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Snow Shoe, PA a good place to live?
Snow Shoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.