Portrait of William Giles, miner-farmer of Union Township, Pennsylvania, 1940
Union Township’s story
Union Township in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 3 maps from 1924 on.
Explore the history →Union TownshipMifflin County, PA
A town of 3,684.
Population
3,684
2025 Census estimate · +1.2% since 2020
Median home value
$190K
Census ACS
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
46.2
years
Jobs based here
1,227
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#946 of 1032 in PA
Is Union Township a good place to live?
Union Township grades C− overall, 946th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 87% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its public schools trail 67% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. A typical home there costs about $190K, 3 years of the Lewistown area’s $64K median household income. 25% of working residents work locally in Union Township, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (6.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Rothrock State Forest, at 465 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
WeakestDHealth
How Union Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Union Township is from typical.
HealthGeisinger-Lewistown Hospital 7.2 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 27.3% of households have no car; 2.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →Jobs & incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 11% conserved landC+Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
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 Union Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Union Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPenelecEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterMifflin Cnty Muni Auth water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Union Township’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 hereMifflin County Board of ElectionsMifflin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code1700417004 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 Union Township.
HealthD
Union Township stands out in Pennsylvania and nationally, with more of its adults who report frequent physical distress
18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Union Township. Union Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 27% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Union Township.
13%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Union Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 24% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better10 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Union Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10.5% | 5.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.6% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.7% | 7.7% |
Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital
7.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
5th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
Union Township earns a C for schools
Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
33%of PA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow View Amish School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades 1–8 | Grades 1–8 | 30 | – |
| Belleville Mennonite School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 238 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Climate
In Union Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Union Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 21° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–39°
Spring39–61°
Summer60–82°
Fall43–63°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About one in four working residents works right in Union Township
Union Township has about as many jobs (1,227) as working residents, but only 294 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 19.3 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
About one in 4 of Union Township’s working residents works in town. Union Township’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Since 2013, Union Township has added 307 jobs, to 1,227 in 2023.
25%work in town
| Union Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.7% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Union Township25%
Menno Township7%
Brown Township5%
Derry Township3%
Lewistown3%
9 mi
median commute distance
1,227
jobs based in Union Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 47% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC+
Union Township has set aside 10.8% of its land for conservation
2.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Union Township is 0.1 miles per square mile.
#727for trails in PA
10.8%
conserved · 1,760 of 16,229 acres
2.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rothrock State Forest | 1.1 mi | 465 |
| 2. Union Township Park | 0.4 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Union Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Union Township.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesStrong wind
8
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 40 attractions →Beaver Stadium and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Union Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
20 mi LakeRaystown Lake
15 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
37 mi Theme parkLakemont Park
37 mi MuseumRailroaders Memorial Museum
15 mi MuseumPalmer Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Beaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lakemont Park: Bhakta Dano. Original uploader was Oldano at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Railroaders Memorial Museum: Mark Frederick, CC0 · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Union Township
18pages on Union Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Union Township
Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Park14.2 mi$20,644 in-state tuitionPennsylvania State University-World CampusUniversity or college · Public · University Park14.2 mi$15,356 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Union Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Union Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Union Township is a township in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,655 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 26 sq mi
Union Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Union Township.
Jackson TownshipGranville TownshipBrown TownshipMenno TownshipOliver TownshipUnion Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township | #946 | C− | B | — | C | D |
| Jackson Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Granville Township | #947 | C− | B+ | C+ | C | D |
| Brown Township | #964 | C− | B | — | C | D |
| Menno Township | — | — | B | — | C | D |
| Oliver Township | — | — | A− | — | C | C |
Menno Township and Oliver Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Union Township, Brown Township, Menno Township and Oliver Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Jackson Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Union Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Union Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Union Township, PA a good place to live?
Union Township grades C− overall, better than 21% of U.S. towns and #946 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades D for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Union Township, PA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.