The Town FilesSomerset, Pennsylvania
Township in Somerset County · population 12,083 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $165,700
- Household income
- $62,587
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 96 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 44.4
Somerset is a township of 12,083 people in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $165,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 74% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Somerset 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 Somerset is worth $165,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $62,587, which is more affordable than 64% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $895 a month. 80.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Somerset | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $165,700 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $895 | $996 |
| Median household income | $62,587 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.6× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 80.8% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.9% | — |
Who lives in Somerset
| People | Somerset | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.4 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.6% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 12.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.7% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 7.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.2% | — |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 81.6% | 89.0% |
Weather in Somerset
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 16.7°F. About 55.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 96.2 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Somerset since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 2, 1998 about 7.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 29, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 7 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 8, 1985.
Severe weather in Somerset County since 1996
Somerset County has been included in 21 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 |
| March 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| January 10, 2013 | Hurricane | DR-4099: Hurricane Sandy |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-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 Somerset itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.
Public schools in Somerset
1 public school with 10 students, about 0.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County Technology Center | 9-12 | 10 | 0.6 |
Towns near Somerset
- Somerset, PA1.5 mi · 6,048 people · home $163,600
- Jenner, PA10.8 mi · 3,710 people · home $131,300
- Conemaugh, PA15.8 mi · 6,760 people · home $166,100
- Ligonier, PA17.0 mi · 6,056 people · home $243,200
- Paint, PA17.2 mi · 3,041 people · home $157,600
- Saltlick, PA17.7 mi · 3,037 people · home $162,500
- Windber, PA19.3 mi · 3,941 people · home $99,000
- Upper Yoder, PA19.4 mi · 5,147 people · home $152,800
Somerset questions
Is Somerset, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Somerset scores better for retirees than 40% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 52%. 19.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.4).
How much does a house cost in Somerset?
The median owner-occupied home in Somerset is valued at $165,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,587, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $895 a month.
What is the weather like in Somerset?
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 16.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 55.9 inches of precipitation a year and 96.2 inches of snow.
Does Somerset get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Somerset since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 2, 1998. 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)