The Town FilesBear Rocks, Pennsylvania
Community in Fayette County · population 1,005 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $214,100
- Household income
- $69,758
- Jan low / Jul high
- 19° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 30 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 15
- Median age
- 57.4
Bear Rocks is a community of 1,005 people in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $214,100, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250).
How Bear Rocks ranks
Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Bear Rocks is worth $214,100, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $69,758, which is more affordable than 39% of Pennsylvania towns. 93.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bear Rocks | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $214,100 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | — | $996 |
| Median household income | $69,758 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.1× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 93.1% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 11.4% | — |
Who lives in Bear Rocks
| People | Bear Rocks | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.4 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.7% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 9.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.0% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 2.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.7% | — |
| Work from home | 15.8% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 29.4 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.6% | 89.0% |
Weather in Bear Rocks
July highs average 80.6°F and January lows 19.2°F. About 50.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 29.8 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 143 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bear Rocks since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on October 2, 2018 about 3.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 6, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 41 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 2, 1998.
Severe weather in Fayette County since 1996
Fayette County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| March 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| October 1, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Fayette County
Fayette County had 37,892 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,069 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in 2023; in Bear Rocks itself the ACS puts it at 7.5%.
Towns near Bear Rocks
- Mount Pleasant, PA3.6 mi · 10,119 people · home $191,300
- Bullskin, PA4.1 mi · 6,740 people · home $187,400
- Mount Pleasant, PA4.5 mi · 4,245 people · home $143,000
- Mammoth, PA4.9 mi · 526 people · home $155,500
- Norvelt, PA5.6 mi · 846 people · home $205,700
- Calumet, PA6.5 mi · 1,145 people · home $158,000
- Saltlick, PA6.6 mi · 3,037 people · home $162,500
- Scottdale, PA6.9 mi · 4,430 people · home $156,900
Bear Rocks questions
Is Bear Rocks, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bear Rocks scores better for retirees than 28% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 49%. 23.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 57.4).
How much does a house cost in Bear Rocks?
The median owner-occupied home in Bear Rocks is valued at $214,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,758, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Bear Rocks?
July highs average 80.6°F and January lows 19.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.1 inches of precipitation a year and 29.8 inches of snow.
Does Bear Rocks get tornadoes?
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bear Rocks since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on October 2, 2018. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)