The Town FilesUpper Burrell, Pennsylvania
Township in Westmoreland County · population 2,164 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $214,400
- Household income
- $89,229
- Jan low / Jul high
- 21° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 29 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 48.8
Upper Burrell is a township of 2,164 people in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $214,400, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more of a college town than 88% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 83% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 81% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Upper Burrell 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 Upper Burrell is worth $214,400, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $89,229, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $749 a month. 89.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Upper Burrell | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $214,400 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $749 | $996 |
| Median household income | $89,229 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 89.3% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.9% | — |
Who lives in Upper Burrell
| People | Upper Burrell | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.8 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.5% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 17.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.3% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 6.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.2% | — |
| Work from home | 19.7% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.1% | 89.0% |
Weather in Upper Burrell
July highs average 83.4°F and January lows 20.5°F. About 42.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.6 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 117 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Upper Burrell since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 3, 1980 about 5.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 8, 2020.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 59 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 20, 2017.
Severe weather in Westmoreland County since 1996
Westmoreland County has been included in 20 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 |
| March 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| April 16, 2010 | Snowstorm | DR-1898: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms |
Jobs and pay in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County had 129,350 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,519 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Upper Burrell itself the ACS puts it at 9.4%.
Towns near Upper Burrell
- Lower Burrell, PA3.4 mi · 11,758 people · home $198,600
- Washington, PA4.4 mi · 6,883 people · home $236,200
- New Kensington, PA4.6 mi · 12,170 people · home $142,000
- Allegheny, PA5.0 mi · 8,328 people · home $231,900
- Plum, PA5.0 mi · 27,144 people · home $227,600
- Arnold, PA5.3 mi · 4,772 people · home $86,400
- Brackenridge, PA5.5 mi · 3,240 people · home $94,800
- Oklahoma, PA5.5 mi · 788 people · home $145,200
Upper Burrell questions
Is Upper Burrell, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Upper Burrell scores better for retirees than 52% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 46%. 25.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.8).
How much does a house cost in Upper Burrell?
The median owner-occupied home in Upper Burrell is valued at $214,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $89,229, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $749 a month.
What is the weather like in Upper Burrell?
July highs average 83.4°F and January lows 20.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.2 inches of precipitation a year and 28.6 inches of snow.
Does Upper Burrell get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Upper Burrell since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 3, 1980. 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)