The Town Files

South Temple, Pennsylvania

Community in Berks County · population 1,560 (2020 Census)

Map: where South Temple is in PennsylvaniaSouth Temple
Median home
$203,400
Household income
$85,753
Jan low / Jul high
23° / 87°
Snow a year
27 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
41.1

South Temple is a community of 1,560 people in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $203,400, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 95% of Pennsylvania towns, more vibrant than 84% of Pennsylvania towns, more walkable than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.

How South Temple 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 Temple lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement5th pctFamilies17th pctQuiet23rd pctWalkability77th pctFirst-time buyers95th pctYoung professionals23rd pctVibrancy84th pctHip & trendy26th pctCollege town26th pctUpscale51st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit71st pctDriving62nd 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 Temple is worth $203,400, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $85,753, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,739 a month. 88.3% of households own their home.

South Temple vs Berks County vs typical Pennsylvania townSouth TempleBerks CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$203,400$257,300$214,250Household income$85,753$79,777$75,278Monthly rent$1,739$1,181$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingSouth TempleTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$203,400$214,250
Median rent$1,739$996
Median household income$85,753$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership88.3%81.5%
Median year built19521971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in South Temple

PeopleSouth TempleTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age41.144.2
Age 65 and over25.8%21.1%
Under 1823.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher33.3%23.8%
Below the poverty line11.0%8.5%
Veterans3.3%—
Born outside the U.S.9.7%—
Work from home9.7%10.6%
Average commute39.2 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband94.6%89.0%

Weather in South Temple

July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 23.0°F. About 45.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.2 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 24 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 107 nights at or below freezing.

South Temple monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°23°Jan42°24°Feb51°32°Mar63°42°Apr74°52°May82°61°Jun87°66°Jul84°64°Aug77°57°Sep65°45°Oct54°35°Nov43°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.07.42.69.53.55.03.40.33.54.84.84.54.93.80.33.00.83.53.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Reading Spaatz Fld station (3.2 mi away); snow from Reading 3.5 Sw (6.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of South Temple since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 31, 1998 about 5.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 4, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of South Temple by decade21950s11960s21970s21980s21990s02000s02010s32020s
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 52 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on May 22, 2014.

Severe weather in Berks County since 1996

Storm events in Berks County since 1996 by typeHail124Heat49Flood61Drought44High Wind40Lightning49Heavy Rain47Flash Flood180
NOAA Storm Events Database, Berks County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 18 deaths recorded.

Berks County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 12, 2011FloodDR-4030: Tropical Storm Lee

Jobs and pay in Berks County

Berks County had 173,692 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,608 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in South Temple itself the ACS puts it at 5%.

Largest industries in Berks CountyManufacturing31,477 jobs · $77,957Health care & social assistan…29,387 jobs · $67,565Retail18,583 jobs · $35,694Hotels & restaurants12,602 jobs · $22,041Transportation & warehousing10,444 jobs · $55,987Administrative & support8,718 jobs · $41,709
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Berks County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Berks 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near South Temple

South Temple questions

Is South Temple, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, South Temple scores better for retirees than 5% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 23%. 25.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.1).

How much does a house cost in South Temple?

The median owner-occupied home in South Temple is valued at $203,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,753, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,739 a month.

What is the weather like in South Temple?

July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 23.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.2 inches of precipitation a year and 27.2 inches of snow.

Does South Temple get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of South Temple since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 31, 1998. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to South Temple's Census boundary (GEOID 4272520). 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.