The Town FilesBethel, Pennsylvania
Township in Armstrong County · population 1,098 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $143,800
- Household income
- $59,205
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 34 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 9
- Median age
- 49.6
Bethel is a township of 1,098 people in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $143,800, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 92% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 87% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 79% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Bethel 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 Bethel is worth $143,800, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $59,205, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $879 a month. 92.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bethel | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $143,800 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $879 | $996 |
| Median household income | $59,205 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 92.4% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 10.8% | — |
Who lives in Bethel
| People | Bethel | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.6 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 28.8% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 17.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.1% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 10.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.3% | — |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 34.1 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.1% | 89.0% |
Weather in Bethel
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 17.2°F. About 44.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.1 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bethel since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 3, 1980 about 9.8 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 6 deaths and 221 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 28, 2002.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 37 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 9, 2001.
Severe weather in Armstrong County since 1996
Armstrong County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| April 16, 2010 | Snowstorm | DR-1898: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms |
| June 30, 2006 | Severe Storm | DR-1649: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Armstrong County
Armstrong County had 15,650 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,796 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Bethel itself the ACS puts it at 10.7%.
Towns near Bethel
- Gilpin, PA3.7 mi · 2,411 people · home $158,300
- Lenape Heights, PA4.3 mi · 1,144 people · home $161,500
- Parks, PA4.4 mi · 2,472 people · home $128,400
- Ford City, PA4.6 mi · 2,859 people · home $84,400
- Manor, PA4.6 mi · 4,179 people · home $177,400
- Burrell, PA4.9 mi · 656 people · home $165,100
- South Buffalo, PA5.0 mi · 2,709 people · home $246,000
- Hyde Park, PA5.4 mi · 509 people · home $141,700
Bethel questions
Is Bethel, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bethel scores better for retirees than 79% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 71%. 28.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.6).
How much does a house cost in Bethel?
The median owner-occupied home in Bethel is valued at $143,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $59,205, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $879 a month.
What is the weather like in Bethel?
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 17.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.3 inches of precipitation a year and 34.1 inches of snow.
Does Bethel get tornadoes?
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bethel since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 3, 1980. 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)