The Town Files

Shade, Pennsylvania

Township in Somerset County · population 2,455 (2020 Census)

Map: where Shade is in PennsylvaniaShade
Median home
$103,000
Household income
$66,774
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 84°
Snow a year
97 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
6
Median age
49.8

Shade is a township of 2,455 people in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $103,000, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks quieter than 92% of Pennsylvania towns, easier by car than 92% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Shade 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.

Shade lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement46th pctFamilies77th pctQuiet92nd pctWalkability29th pctFirst-time buyers69th pctYoung professionals5th pctVibrancy35th pctHip & trendy35th pctCollege town44th pctUpscale30th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving92nd 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 Shade is worth $103,000, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.5 times the median household income of $66,774, which is more affordable than 97% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $639 a month. 89.5% of households own their home.

Shade vs Somerset County vs typical Pennsylvania townShadeSomerset CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$103,000$150,600$214,250Household income$66,774$61,446$75,278Monthly rent$639$753$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingShadeTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$103,000$214,250
Median rent$639$996
Median household income$66,774$75,278
Home value ÷ income1.5×2.8×
Homeownership89.5%81.5%
Median year built19491971
Seasonal / vacation homes5.7%—

Who lives in Shade

PeopleShadeTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age49.844.2
Age 65 and over23.0%21.1%
Under 1816.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher14.5%23.8%
Below the poverty line9.0%8.5%
Veterans9.4%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home6.7%10.6%
Average commute31.3 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband80.3%89.0%

Weather in Shade

July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 18.7°F. About 39.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 96.9 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 149 nights at or below freezing.

Shade monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing36°19°Jan40°19°Feb48°26°Mar62°36°Apr72°46°May79°55°Jun84°59°Jul83°58°Aug75°50°Sep64°38°Oct51°30°Nov40°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.829.02.422.73.315.13.64.24.14.03.23.53.73.11.23.04.93.119.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Shawnee Sp station (11.6 mi away); snow from Buckstown 1 Se (3.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shade since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 13, 1956 about 9.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 13, 2018.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Shade by decade21950s01960s11970s01980s11990s02000s22010s02020s
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 6 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on March 23, 2011.

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 Shade itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.

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).

Towns near Shade

Shade questions

Is Shade, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shade scores better for retirees than 46% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 92%. 23.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.8).

How much does a house cost in Shade?

The median owner-occupied home in Shade is valued at $103,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,774, so homes cost about 1.5 times income. Median rent is $639 a month.

What is the weather like in Shade?

July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 18.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.6 inches of precipitation a year and 96.9 inches of snow.

Does Shade get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shade since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 13, 1956. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Shade's Census boundary (GEOID 4211169448). 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.