The Town FilesCairnbrook, Pennsylvania
Community in Somerset County · population 505 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $65,500
- Household income
- $47,292
- Jan low / Jul high
- 19° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 97 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 36.9
Cairnbrook is a community of 505 people in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $65,500, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks quieter than 92% of Pennsylvania towns, easier by car than 92% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Cairnbrook 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 Cairnbrook is worth $65,500, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $47,292, which is more affordable than 98% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $753 a month. 86.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cairnbrook | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $65,500 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $753 | $996 |
| Median household income | $47,292 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.4× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 86.9% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 18.8% | — |
Who lives in Cairnbrook
| People | Cairnbrook | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.9 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 8.1% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 33.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3.8% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.0% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 4.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 28.5 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.3% | 89.0% |
Weather in Cairnbrook
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 18.7°F. About 39.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 96.9 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 149 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cairnbrook since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 13, 1956 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 13, 2018.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 6 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on March 23, 2011.
Severe weather in Somerset County since 1996
Somerset County has been included in 21 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 |
| January 10, 2013 | Hurricane | DR-4099: Hurricane Sandy |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Somerset County
Somerset County had 23,303 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,925 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Cairnbrook itself the ACS puts it at 0.6%.
Public schools in Cairnbrook
2 public schools with 316 students, about 9.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairnbrook El Sch | K-6 | 171 | 10.1 |
| Shade JSHS | 7-12 | 145 | 8.1 |
Towns near Cairnbrook
- Shade, PA0.9 mi · 2,455 people · home $103,000
- Central City, PA1.3 mi · 998 people · home $67,400
- Hooversville, PA5.3 mi · 628 people · home $86,400
- Paint, PA6.0 mi · 3,041 people · home $157,600
- Quemahoning, PA7.2 mi · 1,840 people · home $125,000
- Windber, PA7.7 mi · 3,941 people · home $99,000
- Paint, PA8.3 mi · 906 people · home $93,800
- Stonycreek, PA8.4 mi · 2,087 people · home $196,300
Cairnbrook questions
Is Cairnbrook, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cairnbrook scores better for retirees than 46% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 92%. 8.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.9).
How much does a house cost in Cairnbrook?
The median owner-occupied home in Cairnbrook is valued at $65,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $47,292, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $753 a month.
What is the weather like in Cairnbrook?
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 18.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.6 inches of precipitation a year and 96.9 inches of snow.
Does Cairnbrook get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cairnbrook since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 13, 1956. 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)