The Town FilesSandy Lake, Pennsylvania
Borough in Mercer County · population 649 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $177,300
- Household income
- $83,875
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 56 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 32.1
Sandy Lake is a borough of 649 people in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $177,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for retirees than 83% of Pennsylvania towns, better for cycling than 81% of Pennsylvania towns, easier by car than 81% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Sandy Lake 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 Sandy Lake is worth $177,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $83,875, which is more affordable than 86% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $751 a month. 62.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sandy Lake | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $177,300 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $751 | $996 |
| Median household income | $83,875 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.1× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 62.9% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1950 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sandy Lake
| People | Sandy Lake | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.1 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.1% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 24.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.8% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.0% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 4.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.4% | — |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.1% | 89.0% |
Weather in Sandy Lake
July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 18.3°F. About 46.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 55.8 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandy Lake since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 1, 1954 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 22, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 34 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 28, 2019.
Severe weather in Mercer County since 1996
Mercer County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| September 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3235: Hurricane Katrina |
| September 19, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1555: Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances |
Jobs and pay in Mercer County
Mercer County had 43,239 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,120 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Sandy Lake itself the ACS puts it at 6%.
Towns near Sandy Lake
- Sandy Lake, PA1.6 mi · 1,202 people · home $169,400
- Stoneboro, PA2.3 mi · 945 people · home $112,700
- Lake, PA2.9 mi · 699 people · home $212,000
- Mill Creek, PA4.1 mi · 778 people · home $239,800
- Worth, PA5.7 mi · 827 people · home $193,600
- Fairview, PA7.1 mi · 953 people · home $259,700
- Lake Latonka, PA7.1 mi · 951 people · home $392,600
- Jackson, PA7.8 mi · 1,178 people · home $260,300
Sandy Lake questions
Is Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sandy Lake scores better for retirees than 83% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 53%. 12.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.1).
How much does a house cost in Sandy Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Sandy Lake is valued at $177,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,875, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $751 a month.
What is the weather like in Sandy Lake?
July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 18.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.3 inches of precipitation a year and 55.8 inches of snow.
Does Sandy Lake get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandy Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 1, 1954. 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)