The Town Files

Clarence, Pennsylvania

Community in Centre County · population 604 (2020 Census)

Map: where Clarence is in PennsylvaniaClarence
Median home
$173,400
Household income
$72,750
Jan low / Jul high
14° / 82°
Snow a year
50 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
41.9

Clarence is a community of 604 people in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $173,400, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, quieter than 90% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 82% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Clarence 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.

Clarence lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement30th pctFamilies82nd pctQuiet90th pctWalkability1st pctFirst-time buyers78th pctYoung professionals8th pctVibrancy20th pctHip & trendy21st pctCollege town36th pctUpscale20th pctVacation homes93rd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving38th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Clarence is worth $173,400, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $72,750, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $790 a month. 82.8% of households own their home.

Clarence vs Centre County vs typical Pennsylvania townClarenceCentre CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$173,400$323,500$214,250Household income$72,750$74,291$75,278Monthly rent$790$1,207$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingClarenceTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$173,400$214,250
Median rent$790$996
Median household income$72,750$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership82.8%81.5%
Median year built19761971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Clarence

PeopleClarenceTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age41.944.2
Age 65 and over17.4%21.1%
Under 1823.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.6%23.8%
Below the poverty line2.5%8.5%
Veterans6.7%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home12.1%10.6%
Average commute33.3 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband80.2%89.0%

Weather in Clarence

July highs average 81.9°F and January lows 13.6°F. About 44.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 50.3 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 176 nights at or below freezing.

Clarence monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°14°Jan37°14°Feb46°21°Mar59°31°Apr70°40°May78°50°Jun82°53°Jul81°52°Aug74°44°Sep62°35°Oct49°26°Nov38°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.212.82.611.53.611.43.81.74.14.24.04.14.53.80.83.33.13.59.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Clarence station (0.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clarence since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 31, 1985 about 9.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 18, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Clarence by decade01950s01960s01970s21980s01990s02000s02010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 19, 1960.

Severe weather in Centre County since 1996

Storm events in Centre County since 1996 by typeHail73Flood16Drought14Tornado10High Wind33Ice Storm23Heavy Snow62Flash Flood26
NOAA Storm Events Database, Centre County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Centre County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
December 2, 2016FloodDR-4292: Severe Storms And Flooding
October 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Centre County

Centre County had 68,578 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,822 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Clarence itself the ACS puts it at 3.4%.

Largest industries in Centre CountyHealth care & social assistan…9,305 jobs · $67,973Retail7,120 jobs · $32,710Hotels & restaurants6,725 jobs · $23,986Manufacturing4,328 jobs · $65,367Professional & technical serv…2,993 jobs · $89,735Construction2,879 jobs · $71,349
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Centre County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023Centre 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Clarence

Clarence questions

Is Clarence, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Clarence scores better for retirees than 30% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 90%. 17.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.9).

How much does a house cost in Clarence?

The median owner-occupied home in Clarence is valued at $173,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,750, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $790 a month.

What is the weather like in Clarence?

July highs average 81.9°F and January lows 13.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.5 inches of precipitation a year and 50.3 inches of snow.

Does Clarence get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clarence since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 31, 1985. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Clarence's Census boundary (GEOID 4213768). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.