The Town Files

Clarion, Pennsylvania

Township in Clarion County · population 3,645 (2020 Census)

Clarion, Pennsylvania
Photo: Nyttend (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$183,400
Household income
$55,705
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 82°
Snow a year
42 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
34.3

Clarion is a township of 3,645 people in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $183,400, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for young professionals than 88% of Pennsylvania towns, better for a vacation home than 86% of Pennsylvania towns, hipper than 82% of Pennsylvania towns.

Map: where Clarion is in PennsylvaniaClarion

How Clarion 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.

Clarion lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement28th pctFamilies16th pctQuiet28th pctWalkability21st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals88th pctVibrancy48th pctHip & trendy82nd pctCollege town73rd pctUpscale44th pctVacation homes86th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving67th 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 Clarion is worth $183,400, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $55,705, which is more affordable than 29% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $881 a month. 52.9% of households own their home.

Clarion vs Clarion County vs typical Pennsylvania townClarionClarion CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$183,400$155,700$214,250Household income$55,705$62,649$75,278Monthly rent$881$798$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingClarionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$183,400$214,250
Median rent$881$996
Median household income$55,705$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.3×2.8×
Homeownership52.9%81.5%
Median year built19761971
Seasonal / vacation homes4.8%—

Who lives in Clarion

PeopleClarionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age34.344.2
Age 65 and over14.0%21.1%
Under 1813.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.4%23.8%
Below the poverty line20.0%8.5%
Veterans3.5%—
Born outside the U.S.3.3%—
Work from home8.9%10.6%
Average commute21.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband86.3%89.0%

Weather in Clarion

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 15.5°F. About 46.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.5 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 155 nights at or below freezing.

Clarion monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°16°Jan36°16°Feb46°23°Mar60°33°Apr71°44°May79°53°Jun82°57°Jul81°56°Aug74°50°Sep62°38°Oct49°29°Nov38°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.613.32.77.43.56.74.00.63.94.75.34.24.03.60.13.62.53.710.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Clarion 3 Sw station (7.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clarion since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 31, 1985 about 6.1 miles from the town center and killed 8. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 9 deaths and 52 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 18, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Clarion by decade01950s01960s11970s21980s21990s12000s42010s22020s
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 24 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 20, 2017.

Severe weather in Clarion County since 1996

Storm events in Clarion County since 1996 by typeHail64Flood21Tornado11High Wind20Ice Storm12Heavy Rain15Heavy Snow20Flash Flood53
NOAA Storm Events Database, Clarion County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Clarion County has been included in 14 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
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina
September 19, 2004Severe StormDR-1555: Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances

Jobs and pay in Clarion County

Clarion County had 12,341 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,067 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Clarion itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.

Largest industries in Clarion CountyHealth care & social assistan…2,391 jobs · $48,432Manufacturing1,572 jobs · $57,099Retail1,561 jobs · $32,834Hotels & restaurants1,224 jobs · $18,136Other services639 jobs · $36,582Construction591 jobs · $65,984
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Clarion County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Clarion 4.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Clarion

Clarion questions

Is Clarion, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Clarion scores better for retirees than 28% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 28%. 14.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.3).

How much does a house cost in Clarion?

The median owner-occupied home in Clarion is valued at $183,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $55,705, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $881 a month.

What is the weather like in Clarion?

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 15.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.9 inches of precipitation a year and 41.5 inches of snow.

Does Clarion get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clarion 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 Clarion's Census boundary (GEOID 4203113808). 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.