Population
2,273 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Pennsylvania
City profile · Pennsylvania · Census ACS 2023
Messiah College, PA
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Messiah College - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 2,273
- Residents
- $1,493
- Median rent (state)
Messiah College - the verdict
Pennsylvania's Messiah College counts 2,273 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 59th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Messiah College, PA
Pennsylvania's Messiah College is a small town, with 2,273 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The median resident age is 20.0 years. 83.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 66.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Pennsylvania tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 97.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,493 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $260 across Pennsylvania, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Messiah College report an average commute of 7.7 minutes, with 20.2% driving alone and 11.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 86.2 out of 100 (Very High).
Median Household Income
N/A /yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.6 (US=100)
Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average
How does Messiah College compare to other US cities?
Here's how Messiah College stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Median rent 59% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Messiah College against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Pennsylvania only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Pennsylvania-relative analysis
Poverty Rate places Messiah College near the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities
Among the 1,856 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Messiah College ranks #1,474 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Messiah College only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Gross Rent
#445 of 1,865
73rd percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#1,474 of 1,856
0th percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#12 of 1,861
99th percentile in Pennsylvania
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Pennsylvania only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Income distribution context
Median household income is not available for Messiah College in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 83.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
2,273
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
20.0
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
66.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
83.3%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
7.7 minutes
Drive Alone
20.2%
Carpool
1.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
67.8%
Work from Home
11.0%
Based on 1,035 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Pennsylvania - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$88
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$52
avg/month
Total Utilities
$260
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Pennsylvania state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Pennsylvania state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Messiah College sits in
Cost of Living Index
97.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,493/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
86.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Pennsylvania
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Messiah College's 2,273 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Messiah College compares to nearby Pennsylvania cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Messiah College (this city) | 2,273 | N/A |
| Melrose Park | 2,273 | $154,946 |
| McDonald | 2,277 | $56,369 |
| Oakwood | 2,263 | $72,273 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS PA OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Messiah College, PA?
What is the population of Messiah College, PA? +
The population of Messiah College, PA stands at 2,273 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the cost of living in Messiah College? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Messiah College; the closest available measure is the Pennsylvania state average, a cost of living index of 97.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Pennsylvania vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.