Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Waynesboro's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades B−, 738th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: residents are less healthy than 71% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. A typical home there costs about $277K, 3.6 years of the Chambersburg metro’s $77K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Only 31 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score higher on history. 52% of households own their home in Waynesboro, below both the Pennsylvania town median (78%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The biggest park or preserve is Otterbein Community Recreation Park, at 23 acres.
Where Waynesboro beats most towns.
Census counts: 799 in 1840, 10,951 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1814 and 4 maps from 1944 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Waynesboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waynesboro. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
38 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
20 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a year
19 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
7 mi National park siteCatoctin Mountain Park461K visitors a year
19 mi LandmarkGettysburg National CemeteryRaven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Catoctin Mountain Park: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waynesboro, 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 Waynesboro.
Waynesboro sends many workers across the state line to Hagerstown and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waynesboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by Waynesboro Area SD.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesboro Area MSLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 887 | C+ |
| Waynesboro Area Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,392 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
1.6 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
| Waynesboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Otterbein Community Recreation Park | 0.6 mi | 23 |
| 2. Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 15 |
| 3. Northside Park | 0.2 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
36% of working residents cross a state line to work, Hagerstown among the top destinations.
Most working residents leave Waynesboro for work: only 11% work in town. The average trip to work in Waynesboro is 28 minutes. The top destinations are Washington Township (7%), Chambersburg (6%) and Hagerstown (5%).
| Waynesboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
19% of Waynesboro adults smoke cigarettes. Waynesboro beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 40% of Waynesboro adults have obesity.
| Waynesboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Waynesboro | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.6% | 5.8% |
| More smokers | 19.4% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Waynesboro has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 157 to 113 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Waynesboro sits closer to the middle.
| Waynesboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.9 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Waynesboro home is worth about $277,000, up 1.8% in a year, close to the Pennsylvania typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4 within 15 miles of the center of Waynesboro
About 5 of every 100 Waynesboro residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
Where Waynesboro’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Waynesboro on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Waynesboro.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Waynesboro () is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located on the southern border of the state, Waynesboro is in the Cumberland Valley between Hagerstown, Maryland, and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of Chambersburg, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. It is two miles north of the Mason–Dixon line and close to Camp David and the Raven Rock Mountain Complex. The population within the borough limits was 10,951 at the 2020 census. When combined with the surrounding Washington and Quincy Townships, the population of greater Waynesboro is 31,166. The Waynesboro Area School District serves a reside…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Waynesboro.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesboro | #738 | B− | B | B | B− | C |
| Wayne Heights | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wayne Heights isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Waynesboro with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Waynesboro grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #738 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 Waynesboro sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
15 notable people were born here, including Ed McCaffrey and Max Bishop.
