Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
On cost of living it is strong: a typical home costs about $149K, 2.2 years of the St. Marys area’s $66K median household income. Overall, St. Marys earns a B, which places it 560th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Set against the rest, it does better than 62% of U.S. towns. The drawback is incomes — the median household income is $67K, and 8% of residents live below the poverty line. The biggest place to walk is State Game Lands Number 25, 13,122 acres with 14.8 miles of trail. Only 32 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score higher on civic life. 55% of working residents work locally in the town, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 6.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · OpenStreetMap · Census LEHD, 2023.
Where St. Marys beats most towns.
John E. Weidenboerner HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far St. Marys is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 692 in 1860, a low of 692 in 1860, 12,738 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1856 and 3 maps from 1941 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in St. Marys, 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 St. Marys.
St. Marys keeps more of its land conserved than most of Pennsylvania, has homes that are cheap against local pay and has commutes shorter than most of Pennsylvania.
Its 19,155 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Trails run 99 miles in 11 parks and preserves. The trail density for St. Marys comes to 1.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. State Game Lands Number 25 | 14.8 mi | 13,122 |
| 2. State Game Lands Number 293 | 14.8 mi | 4,211 |
| 3. Benzinger Park | 1.3 mi | 38 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The largest public high school is St Marys Area SHS, with 572 students. Public schools: Saint Marys Area SD. Of its 7 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South St Marys Street El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 583 | B+ |
| St Marys Area SHSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 572 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
One declared disaster, in 2004, has brought federal aid to St. Marys households. Compared with 90% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is lower. 24 flood insurance claims have been paid here since 1978. Just over two thirds of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by lightning at 10%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
St. Marys’ July high comes in at 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns St. Marys sits closer to the middle. In St. Marys, the violent crime rate is 2.3 per 1,000 residents.
| St. Marys | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.8 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 5,558 working residents takes 14.2 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Jobs in St. Marys fell by 906 from 2013 to 2023, to 6,735. In St. Marys, the average trip to work is 14 minutes. The median commute is under 4 miles. The top destinations are Fox Township (5%), Ridgway Township (4%) and Ridgway (3%).
| St. Marys | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 55% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
St. Marys: a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor. Among adults in the town, 38% have obesity and 15% report frequent physical distress.
| St. Marys | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | St. Marys | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 7.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 36.7% | 30.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.9% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 2.2 years of the St. Marys area’s $66K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 87% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
St. Marys’ rent at the middle of the market stands at $762 a month. In St. Marys, 78% of households are owner-occupiers.
| St. Marys | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $762 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of St. Marys; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 St. Marys residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
3 places in St. Marys on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in St. Marys.
City in Pennsylvania, US
St. Marys is a city in Elk County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,738 at the 2020 census. It was founded December 8, 1842, and was originally inhabited mostly by Bavarian Roman Catholics. It is home to Straub Brewery and the first Benedictine convent in the United States. In 1992, the borough of St. Marys absorbed the surrounding township of Benzinger and incorporated as a city. Despite being Pennsylvania's second-largest city by area after Philadelphia, it is one of the state's least densely populated cities. St. Marys is in the center of Pennsylvania's Elk country. It is one of the few places east of the Mississippi River that allows hunting of wild elk. The area is kn…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with St. Marys.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys | #560 | B | A | B | B− | C+ |
| Ridgway Township | — | — | A+ | — | A | C |
| Fox Township | #485 | B+ | A | — | B− | B− |
| Jones Township | — | — | A+ | — | A | C |
| Jay Township | — | — | A+ | — | B− | C |
| Shippen Township | — | — | B+ | — | A− | D |
Ridgway Township, Jones Township, Jay Township and Shippen Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Ridgway Township, Fox Township, Jones Township, Jay Township and Shippen Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare St. Marys with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. St. Marys grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #560 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health, B for safety and B− for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns St. Marys sits nearer the middle.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $149,000, 48% 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 A.
13 notable people were born here, including Joanna Shields and Nate Sestina.
