PennDOT NY 17 assembly, 2009
South Waverly’s story
243 years in pictures
Census counts: 854 in 1880, 1,070 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2006.
- 1783South Waverly is settled
South WaverlyPA
Population
1,089
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Median home value
$162K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
42.8
years
Jobs based here
396
Balanced
Is South Waverly a good place to live?
The best of South Waverly’s subject grades is an A− for walkability; the weakest is a C− for health. South Waverly’s typical journey to work is 14 minutes, below both Pennsylvania’s towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). South Waverly's public schools trail 69% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. Only 129 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score lower on civic life. South Waverly has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes South Waverly stand out
Where South Waverly beats most towns.
Small town
1,089 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
SayreAthens TownshipSouth Waverly
How South Waverly grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far South Waverly is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 13 of 20; 4.4% of households have no carA−Open →HealthLess healthy than 77% of U.S. towns; Robert Packer Hospital 1.6 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $162K, 2.5 years of the Sayre area’s $64K median household incomeBOpen →Jobs & income$88K median household incomeBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsC+Open →HistoryAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →Civic life0.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to South Waverly: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Waverly, and how to reach them.
PowerTri-County Rural Elec Coop Inc (PA)22.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAqua Pa Susquehanna DivisionNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offSayre Borough Recycling Center, 2 miOpenStreetMap
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 hereBradford County Board of ElectionsBradford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2025
ZIP code1884018840 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 Waverly.
HealthC−
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in South Waverly than in most of Pennsylvania or the rest of the country
For adults in South Waverly, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 23%. Against the Pennsylvania average, South Waverly comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 11.
23%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| South Waverly | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 19% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
1 better14 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | South Waverly | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.6% | 79.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.7% | 14.5% |
Robert Packer Hospital
1.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In South Waverly, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
South Waverly’s peak summer temperature is 83°F.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–36°
Spring34–58°
Summer57–81°
Fall40–61°
Oct 10
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of South Waverly’s workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
For half of commuters, work is under 10 miles away. Jobs in South Waverly fell by 341 from 2013 to 2023, to 396. Most people who work leave South Waverly to do it: just 3% work in town. The top destinations are Sayre (26%), Athens Township (7%) and Athens (5%).
3%work in town
| South Waverly | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In South Waverly3%
Sayre26%
Athens Township7%
Athens5%
Barton4%
10 mi
median commute distance
396
jobs based in South Waverly
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer adults under 35 in South Waverly than across Pennsylvania
The share of residents in South Waverly who are under 18: 25%. Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 25% of residents (21% statewide). A bachelor’s degree or higher: 26% of adults 25 and older, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
42.8median age · PA 40.9
| South Waverly | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.8 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
South WaverlyPennsylvaniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school36%
Some college26%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.9 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| South Waverly | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.4% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.5% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.6% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.9% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.8% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.3% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.2% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Moderate risk in South Waverly, with inland flooding at the top
One flood insurance claim has been paid in South Waverly since 2011. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingLightning
1
paid flood claims since 2011
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B
Homes in South Waverly sell for about $235K
85% of households live in a home they own in South Waverly. In South Waverly, the midpoint rent is $1,022 a month.
$235Kmedian sale price
| South Waverly | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,022 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC+
0% of South Waverly is conserved land
Trails run 0.3 miles in 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in South Waverly: one, of 5 acres.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 561 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Richard L. Bentley Community Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 27 attractions →Watkins Glen State Park and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Waverly. Close and well known come first.
31 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
28 mi MuseumCorning Museum of Glass400K visitors a year
38 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
31 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf Field
32 mi MuseumHerbert F. Johnson Museum of Art80K visitors a year
36 mi State parkWorlds End State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Corning Museum of Glass: User:Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Schoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Worlds End State Park: Nicholas, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Waverly
18pages on South Waverly
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of South Waverly; the nearest are
Elmira CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elmira, NY15.5 mi$38,976 tuitionSUNY Corning Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Corning, NY28.4 mi$6,534 in-state tuitionBinghamton UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Vestal, NY30.3 mi$10,567 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 South Waverly residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About South Waverly
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
South Waverly is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 1,070 at the 2020 census. South Waverly is part of the Penn-York Valley (called "The Valley"), a group of four contiguous communities in New York and Pennsylvania: Waverly, New York, South Waverly, Sayre, and Athens, with a combined population near 30,000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1783
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 840 ft
Questions about South Waverly
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Waverly, PA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $162,000, 43% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.