Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Strasburg is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 81st of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 95% of U.S. towns, its public schools beat 85% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation, and it is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 1 place on the National Register. Strasburg’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. On history, just 85 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better.
Where Strasburg beats most towns.
Census counts: 445 in 1840, 3,117 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 6 maps from 1912 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Strasburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Strasburg, 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 Strasburg.
Strasburg has seen reported crime fall by about half and has commutes shorter than most of Pennsylvania, but it has property taxes 1.6 times the Pennsylvania norm.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Strasburg Community Park | 0.9 mi | 12 |
| 2. Strasburg Jaycee Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 20 to 4 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
At 1 per 1,000 residents, Strasburg’s property crime rate is against 5.7 in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Strasburg’s violent crime rate is 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Strasburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Strasburg. Strasburg beats the Pennsylvania average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of adults get no exercise outside work in Strasburg.
| Strasburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Strasburg | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 13.8% | 15.8% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 68.9% | 64.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 1,331 working residents takes 20.3 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania. Jobs based here grew from 368 in 2013 to 612.
Most working residents leave Strasburg for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Strasburg is 20 minutes. Jobs based in Strasburg grew to 612 in 2023, 244 more than in 2013.
| Strasburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 31% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (22% statewide). 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Strasburg | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.3 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Strasburg | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.8% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.5% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.8% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.8% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,100, single groups can be off by several points
Strasburg has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median property tax bill is $5,176, against $3,311 across Pennsylvania, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Strasburg. Close and well known come first.
33 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
3 mi Theme parkDutch Wonderland
in town MuseumRailroad Museum of Pennsylvania
28 mi GardenLongwood Gardens
33 mi MuseumWinterthur Museum, Garden and Library
14 mi MuseumEphrata CloisterHersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania: Dough4872, Public domain · Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5 · Ephrata Cloister: 1549bcp at English Wikipedia, Public domain
8 within 15 miles of the center of Strasburg
About 2 of every 100 Strasburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
2,809 counted in 2010 and 3,117 in 2020; an estimated 3,085 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
7 notable people were born in Strasburg.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Strasburg (Pennsylvania German: Schtraasebarig or Schtraasbarig) is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village stretching approximately 2 miles (3 km) along the Great Conestoga Road, later known as the Strasburg Road. The population was 3,117 at the 2020 census. The town was named after the then German city of Strasbourg, (today part of France) the native home of an early settler. The town is often called "Train Town USA" because of the many railroad attractions in and around town, including the Strasburg Rail Road and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Much of the movie Witness was filmed on a farm nearby. Much of the borough was listed a…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Strasburg grades A+ overall, better than 97% of U.S. towns and #81 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades A− for health, A+ for safety and A for schools.
The typical home is worth about $354,000, 23% above 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 C+.
7 notable people were born here, including John Alexander Ahl and Don Wert.
