South Fork, Cambria County, Pennsylvania 1900, 1900
South Fork’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1900.
- 1873South Fork is settled
South ForkPA
A town of 907, settled in 1873.
3 bordering townsMap →
Population
907
2025 Census estimate · −4.1% since 2020
Median home value
$58K
Census ACS
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
44.7
years
Jobs based here
71
A commuter town
Is South Fork a good place to live?
23% of residents live below the poverty line in South Fork, above both the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 7 of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than South Fork. South Fork has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
907 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Croyle TownshipAdams TownshipEast Taylor TownshipSouth Fork
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to South Fork: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Fork, and how to reach them.
PowerREA Energy Coop16.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHighland S & W Auth Beaverdam water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have South Fork’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 hereCambria County Board of ElectionsCambria County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP code1595615956 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 South Fork.
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of South Fork’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave South Fork for work: only 1% work in town. South Fork’s median household income is $46,000, below both Pennsylvania’s towns ($81,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Since 2013, South Fork has lost 107 jobs, to 71 in 2023.
1%work in town
| South Fork | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In South Fork1%
Richland Township15%
Johnstown8%
Adams Township7%
Cambria Township6%
9 mi
median commute distance
71
jobs based in South Fork
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In South Fork, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
South Fork has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. South Fork’s July high is 82°F.
74″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–37°
Spring36–59°
Summer57–80°
Fall40–62°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in South Fork
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in South Fork since 1981.
36risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 1981
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in South Fork
No violent or property crimes were reported in South Fork in 2023. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
South Fork is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2023
0
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy South Fork is
South Fork beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 21% of adults smoke cigarettes in South Fork.
| South Fork | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better18 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | South Fork | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 21.1% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 7.7% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 28.7% | 23.8% |
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
7.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 45 attractions →Flight 93 National Memorial and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Fork. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
in town DamSouth Fork Dam
3 mi National Historic SiteAllegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site163K visitors a year
in town National MemorialJohnstown Flood National Memorial75K visitors a year27 mi Theme parkIdlewild and Soak Zone
22 mi Theme parkLakemont ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · South Fork Dam: Ernest Walter Histed, Public domain · Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site: Matthew A. Lynn; Original uploader was Mosamiazaz at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Johnstown Flood National Memorial: David Brossard, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lakemont Park: Bhakta Dano. Original uploader was Oldano at en.wikipedia, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Fork
18pages on South Fork
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of South Fork
University of Pittsburgh-JohnstownUniversity or college · Public · Johnstown7 mi$14,906 in-state tuitionPennsylvania Highlands Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Johnstown7.2 mi$7,110 in-state tuitionCommonwealth Technical InstituteCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Johnstown9.3 mi$7,714 tuition
About 2 of every 100 South Fork residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave South Fork for work
Where South Fork’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
71jobs based in South Fork
1%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About South Fork
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
South Fork is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, South Fork had a population of 954.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1887
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,480 ft
- ZIP code
- 15956
Questions about South Fork
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Fork, PA a good place to live?
South Fork has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.