The Town FilesSparta, Pennsylvania
Township in Crawford County · population 1,910 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $168,700
- Household income
- $57,596
- Jan low / Jul high
- 16° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 102 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 14
- Median age
- 23.1
Sparta is a township of 1,910 people in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $168,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for a vacation home than 88% of Pennsylvania towns, better transit than 76% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Sparta 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 Sparta is worth $168,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $57,596, which is more affordable than 48% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $948 a month. 84.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sparta | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $168,700 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $948 | $996 |
| Median household income | $57,596 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 84.2% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 6.7% | — |
Who lives in Sparta
| People | Sparta | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 23.1 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 9.0% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 41.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.6% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 33.9% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 5.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 2.8% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 52.9% | 89.0% |
Weather in Sparta
July highs average 80.0°F and January lows 16.3°F. About 49.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 102.0 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 150 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sparta since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 31, 1985 about 4.9 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 4 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 9, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 31, 1985.
Severe weather in Crawford County since 1996
Crawford County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| October 1, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| September 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3235: Hurricane Katrina |
Jobs and pay in Crawford County
Crawford County had 28,870 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,526 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Sparta itself the ACS puts it at 14.2%.
Towns near Sparta
- Concord, PA4.7 mi · 1,277 people · home $124,400
- Rome, PA5.4 mi · 1,991 people · home $148,600
- Canadohta Lake, PA7.5 mi · 503 people · home $149,400
- Bloomfield, PA7.5 mi · 1,862 people · home $133,200
- Spring Creek, PA8.0 mi · 780 people · home $190,000
- Corry, PA8.4 mi · 6,210 people · home $96,800
- Eldred, PA8.4 mi · 584 people · home $114,400
- Union, PA8.9 mi · 1,541 people · home $177,300
Sparta questions
Is Sparta, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sparta scores better for retirees than 6% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 47%. 9.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 23.1).
How much does a house cost in Sparta?
The median owner-occupied home in Sparta is valued at $168,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $57,596, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $948 a month.
What is the weather like in Sparta?
July highs average 80.0°F and January lows 16.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.0 inches of precipitation a year and 102.0 inches of snow.
Does Sparta get tornadoes?
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sparta since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 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)