Centre County, Pennsylvania
Among the top 17% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 23% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 22% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B+, better than 71% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 83% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 66% of US counties
- top 6% for walkability
- top 12% for school quality
- bottom 12% for cost of living
Centre County is a county in Pennsylvania with about 159,000 residents. It grades B+ for getting around and D for weather. Standout strengths include walkability, school quality, and violent crime. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and cost of living.
Official websiteco.centre.pa.us (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
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warm
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v.cold
72%41%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.0 in2.9 in
humid 63%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$70k74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$55kbetter than 12% of US counties
Home Value$290k87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 16% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 12% of US counties
Property Tax Rate1.12%better than 31% of US counties
Income Tax3.94%better than 75% of US counties
State 3.10% + Local 0.84%
Sales Tax6.34%better than 76% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden10.66%better than 30% of US counties
Unemployment4.0%better than 65% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)27°F29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)72°F19th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation42.3 in48th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall44.6 inbetter than 16% of US counties
Sunny Days214 daysbetter than 27% of US counties
Summer Humidity61°Fbetter than 69% of US counties
Comfortable Days81 daysbetter than 54% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk68.0better than 31% of US counties
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 35% of US counties
School Quality90.7better than 88% of US counties
Violent Crime347/100kbetter than 81% of US counties
Property Crime388/100kbetter than 79% of US counties
Community
Population158,66587th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age33.36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.2648th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.1291st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningEven15th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)84.2%56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.2%58th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)3.1%33rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)6.2%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.3%47th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time20 minbetter than 78% of US counties
Walkability10.6/20better than 94% of US counties
Airport Distance134 mibetter than 31% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access84.6%better than 59% of US counties
Amenities Nearby2.58better than 52% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 68% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Centre County an affordable place to live?
- Centre County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $55k, better than 12% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Centre County?
- The median home value in Centre County is $290k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Centre County?
- Median household income in Centre County is $70k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Centre County?
- Median gross rent in Centre County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Centre County safe?
- Centre County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 347/100k (better than 81%). Property crime is 388/100k.
- What is the weather like in Centre County?
- Centre County averages 72°F in July and 27°F in January, with 42.3 in of annual precipitation and about 214 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Centre County?
- Public-school quality in Centre County is above average, scoring better than 88% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Centre County?
- The average one-way commute in Centre County is 20 min.
Other counties in Pennsylvania
Explore Pennsylvania
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)