The Town Files

Porter, Pennsylvania

Township in Clarion County · population 1,289 (2020 Census)

Map: where Porter is in PennsylvaniaPorter
Median home
$120,700
Household income
$70,156
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 82°
Snow a year
36 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
46.3

Porter is a township of 1,289 people in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $120,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for cycling than 98% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 85% of Pennsylvania towns, easier by car than 75% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Porter 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.

Porter lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement85th pctFamilies53rd pctQuiet54th pctWalkability31st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals39th pctVibrancy61st pctHip & trendy51st pctCollege town44th pctUpscale33rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling98th pctTransitbottomDriving75th 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 Porter is worth $120,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $70,156, which is more affordable than 95% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $632 a month. 82.4% of households own their home.

Porter vs Clarion County vs typical Pennsylvania townPorterClarion CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$120,700$155,700$214,250Household income$70,156$62,649$75,278Monthly rent$632$798$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingPorterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$120,700$214,250
Median rent$632$996
Median household income$70,156$75,278
Home value ÷ income1.7×2.8×
Homeownership82.4%81.5%
Median year built19551971
Seasonal / vacation homes2.0%—

Who lives in Porter

PeoplePorterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age46.344.2
Age 65 and over19.8%21.1%
Under 1820.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher14.4%23.8%
Below the poverty line20.2%8.5%
Veterans3.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.2%—
Work from home14.5%10.6%
Average commute30.9 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband85.7%89.0%

Weather in Porter

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 36.2 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.

Porter 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 blue3.612.62.76.23.56.24.00.43.94.75.34.24.03.63.61.83.78.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Clarion 3 Sw station (10.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Porter since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 31, 1985 about 4.7 miles from the town center and killed 8. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 8 deaths and 41 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 18, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Porter by decade01950s01960s01970s21980s21990s02000s22010s12020s
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 25 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on August 3, 2015.

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 Porter itself the ACS puts it at 3.2%.

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 Porter

Porter questions

Is Porter, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Porter scores better for retirees than 85% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 54%. 19.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.3).

How much does a house cost in Porter?

The median owner-occupied home in Porter is valued at $120,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $70,156, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is $632 a month.

What is the weather like in Porter?

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 36.2 inches of snow.

Does Porter get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Porter 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 Porter's Census boundary (GEOID 4203162144). 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.