Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. State College grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns. Natural-hazard risk is low. Its schools rank ahead of 92% of Pennsylvania towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $415K for a typical one and 5.6 times the State College metro’s $74K median household income. State College is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among Pennsylvania’s towns. 68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in State College, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. Only 75 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score higher on civic life.
Where State College beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Radio Park El Sch | K–5 | 424 |
| Easterly Parkway El Sch | K–5 | 314 |
| Corl Street El Sch | K–5 | 250 |
2 colleges in town.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far State College is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 851 in 1900, 40,501 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 4 maps from 1908 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in State College, 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 State College.
State College is shaped by its college students and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by a fifth or more.
Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $415K.
Its public schools are run by State College Area SD. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radio Park El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 424 | A+ |
| State College Area HSLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 2,402 | B+ |
| Corl Street El SchTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 250 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
6.8 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. State College’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Lederer Park, 22 acres with 1 miles of trail.
| State College | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.9% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens | 1.8 mi | 20 |
| 2. Lederer Park | 1 mi | 22 |
| 3. Orchard Park | 0.4 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The FEMA risk score in State College is 1 of 100. Since 1978, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in State College.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
65.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.2% across Pennsylvania.
26% of State College households own their home. The typical State College home is worth about $415,000, up 2.3% in a year, 45% above the Pennsylvania typical home. 66% of State College renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
| State College | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 26% | 78% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 66% | 44% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,273 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
State College has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 4,157 U.S. towns with household incomes like State College’s, it is healthier than 97%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
State College beats the Pennsylvania average on 9 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 4.6% of adults have diabetes in State College. Of the 1,035 Pennsylvania towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than State College.
| State College | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 4.6% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | State College | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.1% | 8.8% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 4.6% | 11.6% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 27.4% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 7,050 working residents takes 15.5 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Most working residents leave State College for work: only 13% work in town. Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 1 have a higher share of residents below the poverty line than State College. Since 2013, State College has lost 939 jobs, to 9,107 in 2023.
| State College | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 38% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes rose from 510 to 616 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns State College sits closer to the middle.
| State College | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 7.6 per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around State College. Close and well known come first.
Big draw2 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
in town Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
26 mi LakeRaystown Lake
in town MuseumPalmer Museum of Art
36 mi Theme parkLakemont Park
in town GardenThe Arboretum at Penn StateBeaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lakemont Park: Bhakta Dano. Original uploader was Oldano at en.wikipedia, Public domain · The Arboretum at Penn State: Daderot, Public domain
3 within 15 miles of the center of State College
College town 66 of every 100 State College residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
4 places in State College on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in State College.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
State College is a borough and the largest settlement in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest borough in Pennsylvania, with a population of 40,501 as of the 2020 census. State College and the surrounding townships are collectively known as Happy Valley, which is part of the larger Nittany Valley. State College and the nearby city of DuBois anchor the State College–DuBois combined statistical area which includes all of Centre and Clearfield counties. Several indigenous groups inhabited the State College area prior to European colonization. In 1855, ironmaster James Irvin offered 200 acres of land around the Centre Furnace for the construction of an agricultural schoo…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with State College.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State College | – | A− | D | B | A | B+ |
| College Township | #161 | A | C− | — | A | A− |
| Ferguson Township | #116 | A | D | A− | A | A |
College Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare State College with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. State College grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns. State College is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among Pennsylvania’s towns. It grades B+ for health, B for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns State College sits nearer the middle.
18 notable people were born here, including Chris Bahr and George Forsythe.
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