The Town Files

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Township in Lawrence County · population 2,913 (2020 Census)

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Photo: Nyttend (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$190,600
Household income
$78,583
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 86°
Snow a year
28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
20
Median age
52.6

Slippery Rock is a township of 2,913 people in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $190,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 88% of Pennsylvania towns, more of a college town than 81% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 76% of Pennsylvania towns.

Map: where Slippery Rock is in PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock

How Slippery Rock 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.

Slippery Rock lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement56th pctFamilies76th pctQuiet68th pctWalkability15th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals2nd pctVibrancy23rd pctHip & trendy1st pctCollege town81st pctUpscale26th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving88th 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 Slippery Rock is worth $190,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $78,583, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,552 a month. 93.6% of households own their home.

Slippery Rock vs Lawrence County vs typical Pennsylvania townSlippery RockLawrence CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$190,600$147,200$214,250Household income$78,583$61,931$75,278Monthly rent$1,552$831$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingSlippery RockTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$190,600$214,250
Median rent$1,552$996
Median household income$78,583$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership93.6%81.5%
Median year built19761971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Slippery Rock

PeopleSlippery RockTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age52.644.2
Age 65 and over27.9%21.1%
Under 1816.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher21.1%23.8%
Below the poverty line5.1%8.5%
Veterans9.0%—
Born outside the U.S.2.6%—
Work from home9.9%10.6%
Average commute26.8 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband84.8%89.0%

Weather in Slippery Rock

July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 19.0°F. About 41.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.5 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 134 nights at or below freezing.

Slippery Rock monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°19°Jan40°20°Feb49°27°Mar63°36°Apr73°47°May82°56°Jun86°60°Jul85°59°Aug79°52°Sep66°41°Oct53°32°Nov42°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.910.12.27.73.13.73.60.33.94.54.53.93.93.23.00.83.14.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the New Castle 1 N station (8.3 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Slippery Rock since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 24, 1977 about 7.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 21, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Slippery Rock by decade21950s01960s11970s11980s41990s12000s42010s72020s
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 43 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 2, 1998.

Severe weather in Lawrence County since 1996

Storm events in Lawrence County since 1996 by typeHail98Flood35Tornado4High Wind16Ice Storm6Heavy Snow17Flash Flood99Strong Wind4
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lawrence County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Lawrence County has been included in 12 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 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina

Jobs and pay in Lawrence County

Lawrence County had 26,838 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,927 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Slippery Rock itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.

Largest industries in Lawrence CountyHealth care & social assistan…5,867 jobs · $50,407Manufacturing3,272 jobs · $70,933Retail3,082 jobs · $35,752Hotels & restaurants2,449 jobs · $18,281Construction1,784 jobs · $75,171Administrative & support1,011 jobs · $42,902
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lawrence County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Lawrence 4.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Slippery Rock

Slippery Rock questions

Is Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Slippery Rock scores better for retirees than 56% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 68%. 27.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.6).

How much does a house cost in Slippery Rock?

The median owner-occupied home in Slippery Rock is valued at $190,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,583, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,552 a month.

What is the weather like in Slippery Rock?

July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 19.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.8 inches of precipitation a year and 27.5 inches of snow.

Does Slippery Rock get tornadoes?

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Slippery Rock since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 24, 1977. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Slippery Rock's Census boundary (GEOID 4207371200). 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.