The Town FilesSnow Shoe, Pennsylvania
Township in Centre County · population 1,621 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $168,700
- Household income
- $66,161
- Jan low / Jul high
- 14° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 50 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 46.7
Snow Shoe is a township of 1,621 people in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $168,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, quieter than 90% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 82% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Snow Shoe 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 Snow Shoe is worth $168,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $66,161, which is more affordable than 70% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $731 a month. 83.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Snow Shoe | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $168,700 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $731 | $996 |
| Median household income | $66,161 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.5× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 83.5% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 18.4% | — |
Who lives in Snow Shoe
| People | Snow Shoe | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.7% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 20.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.3% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 7.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.8% | — |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 36.0 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 81.2% | 89.0% |
Weather in Snow Shoe
July highs average 81.9°F and January lows 13.6°F. About 44.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 50.3 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 176 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Snow Shoe since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 31, 1985 about 9.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 18, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 19, 1960.
Severe weather in Centre County since 1996
Centre County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| December 2, 2016 | Flood | DR-4292: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| October 1, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Centre County
Centre County had 68,578 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,822 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Snow Shoe itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.
Towns near Snow Shoe
- Clarence, PA1.0 mi · 604 people · home $173,400
- Snow Shoe, PA1.3 mi · 670 people · home $178,200
- Union, PA7.2 mi · 1,367 people · home $221,200
- Boggs, PA7.9 mi · 2,705 people · home $204,100
- Cooper, PA9.9 mi · 2,594 people · home $171,400
- Milesburg, PA10.1 mi · 1,093 people · home $191,800
- Huston, PA12.2 mi · 1,317 people · home $235,300
- Karthaus, PA12.2 mi · 824 people · home $156,000
Snow Shoe questions
Is Snow Shoe, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Snow Shoe scores better for retirees than 30% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 90%. 18.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.7).
How much does a house cost in Snow Shoe?
The median owner-occupied home in Snow Shoe is valued at $168,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,161, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $731 a month.
What is the weather like in Snow Shoe?
July highs average 81.9°F and January lows 13.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.5 inches of precipitation a year and 50.3 inches of snow.
Does Snow Shoe get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Snow Shoe since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 31, 1985. 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)