Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Somerset grades B− overall, 729th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 88% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the median household income is $47K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. Only 170 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score lower on health. 25% of working residents work locally in Somerset, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 6.3% and U.S. towns at 8%.
Where Somerset beats most towns.
Somerset County Courthouse
Census counts: 280 in 1800, 6,048 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Somerset is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Somerset, 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 Somerset.
Somerset draws workers from Somerset Township and beyond, gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
4,905 jobs are based in Somerset, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.9 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
About one in 4 of Somerset’s working residents works in town. Somerset’s average trip to work is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Somerset has added 242 jobs, to 4,905 in 2023.
| Somerset | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Somerset Area SD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Somerset Area Jr-Sr HS, with 1,054 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle View El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 439 | B |
| Somerset Area Jr-Sr HSLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 1,054 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
The FEMA risk score in Somerset is 12 of 100. Since 1980, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Somerset.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 4,702 U.S. towns with household incomes like Somerset’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Somerset beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Somerset.
| Somerset | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Somerset | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.7% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 20.1% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
57% of Somerset households own their home. Typical home values rose 6.2% in the year to September 2026.
| Somerset | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $678 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Somerset weather station records that 96 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Somerset has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 79° and January nights drop to 17°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Somerset's reported crime rate is well below Pennsylvania's. 21 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Somerset | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 4.4 per 1,000 residents | 6.8 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ankeny Square | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Somerset. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw9 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
16 mi MountainMount Davis
30 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year
29 mi DamSouth Fork Dam
38 mi LakeDeep Creek LakeFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · South Fork Dam: Ernest Walter Histed, Public domain · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Somerset; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Somerset residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Somerset’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Somerset on the National Register of Historic Places.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Somerset ( SUM-ər-set) is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 6,046 at the 2020 census. The borough is surrounded by Somerset Township and is located off the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-70 and I-76). Somerset is the principal city of the Somerset micropolitan statistical area, which consists of Somerset County, and is also a principal city of the larger Johnstown-Somerset combined statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Somerset grades B− overall, better than 47% of U.S. towns and #729 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C− for health and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
