The Town Files

South New Castle, Pennsylvania

Borough in Lawrence County · population 647 (2020 Census)

Map: where South New Castle is in PennsylvaniaSouth New Castle
Median home
$104,100
Household income
$69,375
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 86°
Snow a year
28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
42.3

South New Castle is a borough of 647 people in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $104,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250).

How South New Castle 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.

South New Castle lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement54th pctFamilies27th pctQuiet62nd pctWalkability56th pctFirst-time buyers60th pctYoung professionals32nd pctVibrancy47th pctHip & trendy50th pctCollege town15th pctUpscale29th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit61st pctDriving39th 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 South New Castle is worth $104,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.5 times the median household income of $69,375, which is more affordable than 97% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $933 a month. 85.9% of households own their home.

South New Castle vs Lawrence County vs typical Pennsylvania townSouth New CastleLawrence CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$104,100$147,200$214,250Household income$69,375$61,931$75,278Monthly rent$933$831$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingSouth New CastleTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$104,100$214,250
Median rent$933$996
Median household income$69,375$75,278
Home value ÷ income1.5×2.8×
Homeownership85.9%81.5%
Median year built19541971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in South New Castle

PeopleSouth New CastleTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age42.344.2
Age 65 and over22.3%21.1%
Under 1824.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.0%23.8%
Below the poverty line5.9%8.5%
Veterans14.4%—
Born outside the U.S.0.3%—
Work from home25.7%10.6%
Average commute21.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband85.2%89.0%

Weather in South New Castle

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.

South New Castle 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 (3.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of South New Castle since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 8, 1992 about 6.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 21, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of South New Castle by decade01950s01960s11970s21980s31990s12000s12010s22020s
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 41 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 South New Castle itself the ACS puts it at 5.9%.

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 South New Castle

South New Castle questions

Is South New Castle, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, South New Castle scores better for retirees than 54% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 62%. 22.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.3).

How much does a house cost in South New Castle?

The median owner-occupied home in South New Castle is valued at $104,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,375, so homes cost about 1.5 times income. Median rent is $933 a month.

What is the weather like in South New Castle?

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 South New Castle get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of South New Castle since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 8, 1992. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to South New Castle's Census boundary (GEOID 4272376). 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.