West Deer TownshipPA
A town of 12,301, settled in 1836.
Is West Deer Township a good place to live?
Few places in the country grade higher. West Deer Township earns an A+, ranked 16th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, its schools outperform 83% of the state's, and the median household earns $95K. Its lowest mark, a B, is in cost of living. On hazard risk, just 110 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do better. 28% of residents are 65 or older in West Deer Township, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (18%). Deer Lakes Park, at 735 acres with 18.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes West Deer Township stand out
Where West Deer Township beats most towns.
92% of working residents leave West Deer Township for work
Where West Deer Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How West Deer Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far West Deer Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Acrisure Stadium and 55 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Deer Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
15 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
15 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
17 mi Theme parkKennywood
15 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints Arena
15 mi LandmarkFort PittPhoto credits
Acrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Pitt: Downtown_Pittsburgh_May_2008.jpg: Allie Caufield derivative work: GrapedApe (tal, CC BY 2.0
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Moving to West Deer Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Deer Township, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in West Deer Township.
For safety, West Deer Township earns an A
West Deer Township is safe by national standards, yet each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Hampton Township (A) to Indiana Township (A+). Reported crimes fell from 53 to 22 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
West Deer Township’s property crime rate is 1.6 per 1,000 residents.
| West Deer Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Property crime per 1,000 residents
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
For schools, West Deer Township earns an A−
Its public schools are run by Deer Lakes SD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Deer Lakes HS, with 581 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtisville Pri CtrLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 390 | – |
| Deer Lakes HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 581 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
West Deer Township has set aside 8.1% of its land for conservation
25 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in West Deer Township is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| West Deer Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.1% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Deer Lakes Park | 18.8 mi | 735 |
| 2. Bairdford Park | 0.1 mi | 47 |
| 3. West Deer Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Very low risk in West Deer Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 27 flood insurance claims have been paid out in West Deer Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Residents of West Deer Township are healthier than 81% of U.S. towns
West Deer Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 9 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of adults binge drink in West Deer Township.
| West Deer Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | West Deer Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.2% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 20.3% | 23.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
West Deer Township has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave West Deer Township for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in West Deer Township fell to 2,444 in 2023, 192 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Pittsburgh (23%), Richland Township (4%) and O'Hara Township (3%).
| West Deer Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Older than Pennsylvania overall
People 65 and older are 28% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). 17% of West Deer Township residents are under 18. 37% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| West Deer Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.3 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.5 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| West Deer Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.9% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.6% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.5% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.9% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.8% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.4% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.3% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.8% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
In West Deer Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
West Deer Township has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 20° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Everything we know about West Deer Township
Colleges nearby
11 within 15 miles of the center of West Deer Township
About 2 of every 100 West Deer Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About West Deer Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
West Deer Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,262 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1836
- Area
- 29 sq mi
West Deer Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with West Deer Township.
At #16 in PA, it grades higher overall than all 5 graded towns on its borders; Hampton Township (A+) comes closest.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Deer Township | #16 | A+ | B | A | A− | A− |
| Richland Township | #128 | A | C− | — | A+ | A |
| Clinton Township | #270 | A | B | — | A | B+ |
| Frazer Township | — | — | B+ | — | A− | C+ |
| Indiana Township | #31 | A+ | C− | A+ | A+ | A |
| Hampton Township | #24 | A+ | C− | A | A+ | A |
| Middlesex Township | #37 | A+ | B | A+ | A+ | A− |
| Bakerstown | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Frazer Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Richland Township, Clinton Township and Frazer Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Bakerstown isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare West Deer Township with a neighbor →
Questions about West Deer Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Deer Township, PA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. West Deer Township grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #16 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades A− for health, A for safety and A− for schools.
Is West Deer 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.