The Town FilesPen Mar, Pennsylvania
Community in Franklin County · population 947 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $270,300
- Household income
- $117,825
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 33 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 35.4
Pen Mar is a community of 947 people in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $270,300, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more walkable than 72% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Pen Mar 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 Pen Mar is worth $270,300, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $117,825, which is more affordable than 79% of Pennsylvania towns. 92.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Pen Mar | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $270,300 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | — | $996 |
| Median household income | $117,825 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.3× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 92.9% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Pen Mar
| People | Pen Mar | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.6% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 31.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.1% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 10.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.3% | — |
| Work from home | 15.2% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.7% | 89.0% |
Weather in Pen Mar
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows 23.0°F. About 48.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.0 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 106 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pen Mar since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 25, 2004 about 6.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 17, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on August 7, 2023.
Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996
Franklin County has been included in 20 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 Franklin County
Franklin County had 60,414 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,554 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Pen Mar itself the ACS puts it at 4.2%.
Towns near Pen Mar
- Rouzerville, PA0.8 mi · 903 people · home —
- Highfield-Cascade, MD1.4 mi · 1,082 people · home $208,900
- Wayne Heights, PA2.0 mi · 2,606 people · home $250,100
- Blue Ridge Summit, PA2.5 mi · 887 people · home $359,800
- Washington, PA2.8 mi · 14,897 people · home $268,000
- Waynesboro, PA4.0 mi · 10,951 people · home $188,600
- Smithsburg, MD6.0 mi · 2,977 people · home $337,500
- Leitersburg, MD6.0 mi · 569 people · home $349,500
Pen Mar questions
Is Pen Mar, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pen Mar scores better for retirees than 21% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 40%. 10.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.4).
How much does a house cost in Pen Mar?
The median owner-occupied home in Pen Mar is valued at $270,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $117,825, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Pen Mar?
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows 23.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.6 inches of precipitation a year and 33.0 inches of snow.
Does Pen Mar get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pen Mar since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 25, 2004. 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)