The Town Files

Rockwood, Pennsylvania

Borough in Somerset County · population 843 (2020 Census)

Map: where Rockwood is in PennsylvaniaRockwood
Median home
$90,600
Household income
$52,000
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 77°
Snow a year
96 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
42.2

Rockwood is a borough of 843 people in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $90,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 95% of Pennsylvania towns, better for a vacation home than 92% of Pennsylvania towns, better for cycling than 82% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Rockwood 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.

Rockwood lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement75th pctFamilies56th pctQuiet69th pctWalkability15th pctFirst-time buyers66th pctYoung professionals27th pctVibrancy20th pctHip & trendy42nd pctCollege town72nd pctUpscale14th pctVacation homes92nd pctSeaside characterbottomCycling82nd pctTransit60th pctDriving95th 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 Rockwood is worth $90,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $52,000, which is more affordable than 95% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $625 a month. 65.5% of households own their home.

Rockwood vs Somerset County vs typical Pennsylvania townRockwoodSomerset CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$90,600$150,600$214,250Household income$52,000$61,446$75,278Monthly rent$625$753$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingRockwoodTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$90,600$214,250
Median rent$625$996
Median household income$52,000$75,278
Home value ÷ income1.7×2.8×
Homeownership65.5%81.5%
Median year built19381971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Rockwood

PeopleRockwoodTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age42.244.2
Age 65 and over20.1%21.1%
Under 1822.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.7%23.8%
Below the poverty line14.1%8.5%
Veterans12.2%—
Born outside the U.S.4.7%—
Work from home0.9%10.6%
Average commute27.4 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband71.2%89.0%

Weather in Rockwood

July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 16.7°F. About 55.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 96.2 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.

Rockwood monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing32°17°Jan35°18°Feb44°25°Mar57°34°Apr67°47°May72°56°Jun77°61°Jul75°59°Aug70°52°Sep59°40°Oct47°30°Nov37°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.527.64.923.64.515.45.53.15.44.74.24.74.34.10.94.25.95.019.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hidden Valley station (10.2 mi away); snow from Somerset (6.8 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rockwood since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 2, 1998 about 0.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 29, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Rockwood by decade01950s01960s01970s11980s31990s02000s02010s12020s
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 5 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 31, 1999.

Severe weather in Somerset County since 1996

Storm events in Somerset County since 1996 by typeHail28Flood24Drought10Tornado10High Wind28Ice Storm14Heavy Snow69Flash Flood62
NOAA Storm Events Database, Somerset County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Somerset County has been included in 21 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
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
January 10, 2013HurricaneDR-4099: Hurricane Sandy
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Somerset County

Somerset County had 23,303 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,925 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Rockwood itself the ACS puts it at 5%.

Largest industries in Somerset CountyHealth care & social assistan…3,853 jobs · $52,639Manufacturing2,563 jobs · $60,953Retail2,491 jobs · $33,640Hotels & restaurants2,370 jobs · $22,996Wholesale trade1,110 jobs · $59,571Transportation & warehousing1,089 jobs · $54,154
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Somerset County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Somerset 4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Rockwood

2 public schools with 577 students, about 10.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Rockwood Area El SchK-629211.7
Rockwood Area JSHS7-122859.8

Towns near Rockwood

Rockwood questions

Is Rockwood, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rockwood scores better for retirees than 75% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 69%. 20.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.2).

How much does a house cost in Rockwood?

The median owner-occupied home in Rockwood is valued at $90,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,000, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is $625 a month.

What is the weather like in Rockwood?

July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 16.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 55.9 inches of precipitation a year and 96.2 inches of snow.

Does Rockwood get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rockwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 2, 1998. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Rockwood's Census boundary (GEOID 4265736). 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.