The Town FilesGreat Bend, Pennsylvania
Borough in Susquehanna County · population 627 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $160,900
- Household income
- $46,071
- Jan low / Jul high
- 13° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 69 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 56.5
Great Bend is a borough of 627 people in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $160,900, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250).
How Great Bend 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 Great Bend is worth $160,900, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $46,071, which is more affordable than 21% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $702 a month. 61.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Great Bend | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $160,900 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $702 | $996 |
| Median household income | $46,071 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 61.3% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.8% | — |
Who lives in Great Bend
| People | Great Bend | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.5 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 29.1% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 14.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.4% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 9.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.7% | — |
| Work from home | 20.1% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 19.4 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 74.2% | 89.0% |
Weather in Great Bend
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 12.5°F. About 46.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 69.0 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Great Bend since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 31, 1998 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 26, 2012.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 20 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 29, 2019.
Severe weather in Susquehanna County since 1996
Susquehanna County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2024 | Tropical Storm | DR-4815: Tropical Storm Debby |
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| November 27, 2018 | Severe Storm | DR-4408: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County had 8,955 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,769 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Great Bend itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.
Towns near Great Bend
- Hallstead, PA0.8 mi · 1,174 people · home $128,200
- Great Bend, PA3.2 mi · 1,708 people · home $229,700
- Liberty, PA5.3 mi · 1,130 people · home $229,900
- Conklin, NY6.6 mi · 5,008 people · home $131,500
- Franklin, PA6.8 mi · 833 people · home $197,500
- New Milford, PA6.8 mi · 812 people · home $159,900
- Oakland, PA7.2 mi · 563 people · home $95,600
- Windsor, NY7.3 mi · 5,804 people · home $182,800
Great Bend questions
Is Great Bend, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Great Bend scores better for retirees than 53% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 63%. 29.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.5).
How much does a house cost in Great Bend?
The median owner-occupied home in Great Bend is valued at $160,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $46,071, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $702 a month.
What is the weather like in Great Bend?
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 12.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.7 inches of precipitation a year and 69.0 inches of snow.
Does Great Bend get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Great Bend since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 31, 1998. 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)