Pennsylvania State Route 35, 2009
Washington Township’s story
Washington Township in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2009.
Explore the history →
Washington TownshipPA
A town of 1,779.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,779
2025 Census estimate · +1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$219K
Census ACS
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Jobs based here
194
A commuter town
Is Washington Township a good place to live?
Washington Township’s best subject grade is a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a C for health. On the outdoors, just 80 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do worse. Washington Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Washington Township for work
Where Washington Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
194jobs based in Washington Township
6%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Washington Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Washington Township is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $219K, 3.3 years of the Selinsgrove area’s $67K median household incomeB+Open →HealthWellspan Evangelical Community Hospital 15.9 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$75K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 7% of households have no car; 5.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landDOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−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 Washington Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Washington Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFreeburg Municipal Authority3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Washington 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 hereSnyder County Board of ElectionsSnyder County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP codes17842, 17870, 17853, 1782717842 46% · 17870 26% · 17853 19% · 17827 9%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 Washington Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Washington Township’s workers commute out
The top destinations are Penn Township (6%), Selinsgrove (6%) and Union Township (4%). Employers in Washington Township added 84 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 194. For half of commuters, work is under 15 miles away. The share of residents in Washington Township who live below the poverty line is 11%, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 7.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
6%work in town
| Washington Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Washington Township6%
Penn Township6%
Selinsgrove6%
Union Township4%
Chapman Township3%
15 mi
median commute distance
194
jobs based in Washington Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 51% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB
Public schools in Washington Township beat 59% of Pennsylvania districts
Its one school is below.
59%of PA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locust Grove School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 1–9 | Grades 1–9 | 39 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
HealthC
Health in Washington Township trails 68% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in Washington Township who binge drink is 18%, close to Pennsylvania’s towns (18%) and above U.S. towns (16%). Among adults in the town, 19% smoke cigarettes. Two figures for adults locally: 18% report frequent mental distress, 28% get no exercise outside work.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Washington Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better19 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Washington Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.1% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 7.7% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 28.4% | 23.8% |
Wellspan Evangelical Community Hospital
15.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Washington Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 20°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–38°
Spring38–60°
Summer60–82°
Fall43–63°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Moderate risk in Washington Township, with inland flooding at the top
On expected storm and flood damage, Washington Township sits below 59% of U.S. communities. 67% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 12%.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsD
Conserved land covers 2.5% of Washington Township
For Washington Township, the concentration of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile. There are 1.2 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves.
2.5%conserved
| Washington Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
2.5%
conserved · 376 of 15,276 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bald Eagle State Forest | — | 16 |
| 2. State Game Lands Number 212 | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Washington Township
18pages on Washington 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 Washington Township
Susquehanna UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Selinsgrove5.2 mi$59,850 tuitionBucknell UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lewisburg14.2 mi$67,812 tuition
About 1 of every 100 Washington Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Washington Township
Township in Pennsylvania, United States
Washington Township is a township in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,759 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 25 sq mi
Washington Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Washington Township.
Penn TownshipUnion TownshipPerry TownshipMiddlecreek TownshipFranklin TownshipChapman TownshipWashington Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | — | — | B+ | — | B | C |
| Penn Township | #756 | C+ | B | — | B | B− |
| Union Township | — | — | B− | — | B | C |
| Perry Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C+ |
| Middlecreek Township | — | — | C+ | — | B+ | C |
| Franklin Township | — | — | B | — | B+ | C− |
| Chapman Township | — | — | A | — | B | C |
Washington Township, Union Township, Perry Township, Middlecreek Township, Franklin Township and Chapman Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Washington Township, Penn Township, Union Township, Perry Township, Middlecreek Township, Franklin Township and Chapman Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Washington Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Washington Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Washington Township, PA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.