The Town Files

Ulster, Pennsylvania

Township in Bradford County · population 1,310 (2020 Census)

Map: where Ulster is in PennsylvaniaUlster
Median home
$173,700
Household income
$76,250
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 84°
Snow a year
38 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
55.8

Ulster is a township of 1,310 people in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $173,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks quieter than 70% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Ulster 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.

Ulster lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement40th pctFamilies65th pctQuiet70th pctWalkability23rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals12th pctVibrancy10th pctHip & trendy28th pctCollege town31st pctUpscale21st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving54th 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 Ulster is worth $173,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $76,250, which is more affordable than 79% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $854 a month. 76.2% of households own their home.

Ulster vs Bradford County vs typical Pennsylvania townUlsterBradford CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$173,700$187,500$214,250Household income$76,250$63,675$75,278Monthly rent$854$901$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingUlsterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$173,700$214,250
Median rent$854$996
Median household income$76,250$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.3×2.8×
Homeownership76.2%81.5%
Median year built19701971
Seasonal / vacation homes1.6%—

Who lives in Ulster

PeopleUlsterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age55.844.2
Age 65 and over27.3%21.1%
Under 1813.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.3%23.8%
Below the poverty line8.0%8.5%
Veterans4.3%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home4.5%10.6%
Average commute23.6 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband80.2%89.0%

Weather in Ulster

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 17.1°F. About 38.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 37.8 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 143 nights at or below freezing.

Ulster monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing35°17°Jan38°18°Feb46°25°Mar60°35°Apr71°46°May79°55°Jun84°59°Jul82°58°Aug75°51°Sep63°40°Oct50°31°Nov40°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.411.01.97.13.18.83.51.53.43.74.03.93.83.70.22.61.82.77.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Towanda 1 S station (8.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ulster since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on May 28, 2019 about 5.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 28, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ulster by decade11950s01960s21970s01980s11990s12000s42010s02020s
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 29 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on September 6, 2012.

Severe weather in Bradford County since 1996

Storm events in Bradford County since 1996 by typeHail70Flood40Tornado13High Wind11Ice Storm5Lightning12Heavy Snow47Flash Flood159
NOAA Storm Events Database, Bradford County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Bradford County has been included in 21 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
November 27, 2018Severe StormDR-4408: Severe Storms And Flooding
December 2, 2016FloodDR-4292: Severe Storms And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Bradford County

Bradford County had 22,333 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,112 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Ulster itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

Largest industries in Bradford CountyHealth care & social assistan…5,488 jobs · $75,441Manufacturing3,651 jobs · $64,126Retail2,497 jobs · $34,313Hotels & restaurants1,390 jobs · $19,906Transportation & warehousing1,253 jobs · $66,780Company management682 jobs · $93,961
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Bradford County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Bradford 3.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Ulster

Ulster questions

Is Ulster, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ulster scores better for retirees than 40% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 70%. 27.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.8).

How much does a house cost in Ulster?

The median owner-occupied home in Ulster is valued at $173,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,250, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $854 a month.

What is the weather like in Ulster?

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 17.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.6 inches of precipitation a year and 37.8 inches of snow.

Does Ulster get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ulster since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on May 28, 2019. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ulster's Census boundary (GEOID 4201578232). 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.