The Town Files

Salisbury, Pennsylvania

Borough in Somerset County · population 706 (2020 Census)

Map: where Salisbury is in PennsylvaniaSalisbury
Median home
$162,000
Household income
$70,341
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 80°
Snow a year
46 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
11
Median age
39.7

Salisbury is a borough of 706 people in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $162,000, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more of a college town than 81% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 78% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Salisbury 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.

Salisbury lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement42nd pctFamilies78th pctQuiet40th pctWalkability37th pctFirst-time buyers67th pctYoung professionals42nd pctVibrancy29th pctHip & trendy11th pctCollege town81st pctUpscale33rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving8th 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 Salisbury is worth $162,000, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $70,341, which is more affordable than 79% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $753 a month. 80.9% of households own their home.

Salisbury vs Somerset County vs typical Pennsylvania townSalisburySomerset CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$162,000$150,600$214,250Household income$70,341$61,446$75,278Monthly rent$753$753$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingSalisburyTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$162,000$214,250
Median rent$753$996
Median household income$70,341$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.3×2.8×
Homeownership80.9%81.5%
Median year built19501971
Seasonal / vacation homes5.0%—

Who lives in Salisbury

PeopleSalisburyTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age39.744.2
Age 65 and over20.1%21.1%
Under 1824.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.6%23.8%
Below the poverty line9.4%8.5%
Veterans10.9%—
Born outside the U.S.0.5%—
Work from home17.2%10.6%
Average commute26.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband80.1%89.0%

Weather in Salisbury

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 16.7°F. About 41.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.7 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 156 nights at or below freezing.

Salisbury monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing34°17°Jan38°17°Feb46°24°Mar59°33°Apr68°43°May76°52°Jun80°56°Jul79°54°Aug73°48°Sep61°37°Oct49°28°Nov39°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.012.92.711.43.69.93.51.14.34.34.13.73.63.00.72.72.83.16.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Meyersdale 2 Ssw station (3.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salisbury since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 2, 1998 about 8.4 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 20 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 10, 2001.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Salisbury by decade11950s01960s11970s11980s61990s22000s02010s02020s
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 4 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 Salisbury itself the ACS puts it at 9.8%.

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 Salisbury

2 public schools with 252 students, about 8.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Salisbury-Elk Lick El SchK-61289.1
Salisbury-Elk Lick JSHS7-121247.3

Towns near Salisbury

Salisbury questions

Is Salisbury, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Salisbury scores better for retirees than 42% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 40%. 20.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.7).

How much does a house cost in Salisbury?

The median owner-occupied home in Salisbury is valued at $162,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $70,341, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $753 a month.

What is the weather like in Salisbury?

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 16.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.7 inches of precipitation a year and 45.7 inches of snow.

Does Salisbury get tornadoes?

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salisbury since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 2, 1998. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Salisbury's Census boundary (GEOID 4267584). 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.