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Place dossier plate
SheetPA-OLD-FORGE-PA · Old Forge, PA 8,533 pop · income 54th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Old Forge
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Old Forge on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Lock Haven · lowest
40,131
Lock Haven · lowest
40,131 median HH income
16.1% of the leader · rank #1
Holtville · near
73,250
Holtville · near
73,250 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #2
Manchester · near
73,250
Manchester · near
73,250 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #3
Avilla · near
73,250
Avilla · near
73,250 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #4
Metairie · near
73,256
Metairie · near
73,256 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #5
Old Forge · this city
73,258
Old Forge · this city
73,258 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #6
Villanova · highest
250,001
Villanova · highest
250,001 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Old Forge on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 8,533.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Old Forge - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Old Forge lands in the 54th percentile for household income and the 80th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
54th
percentile, household income
33rd
percentile, home value
54th
percentile, median rent
80th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Old Forge, PA
8,533 people live in Old Forge, Pennsylvania - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Old Forge households earn a median of $73,258 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.3%. Typical homes in Old Forge are valued around $169,700, and the median resident age is 47.2 years. About 32.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 2 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 100% from five years earlier. Old Forge reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 635.5 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
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 $1,225 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Pennsylvania run around $260, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 67.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Old Forge's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to schools and households to work and mobility to population change to reported crime to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Old Forge, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Comparison shortlist
Which cities make useful reference points for Old Forge?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Pennsylvania, the closest population matches are Lewistown (8,505 residents, $40,179 income); Swissvale (8,499 residents, $60,114 income); Villanova (8,431 residents, $250,000+ income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Delavan, WI (8,531 residents); Perryville, MO (8,530 residents); Olivette, MO (8,539 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What does the education layer cover for Old Forge?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 32.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What does the journey to work look like in Old Forge?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Is Old Forge growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +139 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 2 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Old Forge?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 635.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 72% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
635.5
Violent rate
138.7
Property rate
496.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
How far does income reach against housing in Old Forge?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
2.3×
Home value
$169,700
Household income
$73,258
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Above median income · poverty 4.3% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.6 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average
C
City profile score · Old Forge, PA
59/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Poverty rate B
4.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
32.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime C+
139 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income C-
$73,258
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living C-
97.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Old Forge profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 70/100 (B) · 4.3%
Bachelor's+ share: 62/100 (C+) · 32.2%
Violent crime: 61/100 (C+) · 139 /100k
Household income: 53/100 (C-) · $73,258
Cost of living: 50/100 (C-) · 97.6 index
Where Old Forge sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Old Forge's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Old Forge highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Old Forge, PA (this city): home $169,700, crime 636/100k
Delavan, WI : home $194,500, crime 1,407/100k
Perryville, MO : home $184,700, crime 1,190/100k
Olivette, MO : home $450,100, crime 926/100k
Lamesa, TX : home $85,800, crime 1,771/100k
Gonzales, CA : home $593,900, crime 827/100k
Swissvale, PA : home $141,300, crime 2,235/100k
Pleasant Hills, PA : home $235,500, crime 1,197/100k
Lock Haven, PA : home $127,500, crime 1,817/100k
Millersville, PA : home $265,500, crime 480/100k
How does Old Forge compare to other US cities?
Where Old Forge sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income54% higher than other cities
Home value33% pricier than other cities
Median rent54% pricier than other cities
Safety80% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Pennsylvania and the picture shifts: Old Forge ranks #140 of 402 Pennsylvania cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Old Forge against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Pennsylvania only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Pennsylvania-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Old Forge near the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities
Among the 1,865 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Old Forge ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Old Forge only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#707 of 1,765
60th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,865
0th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Home Value
#883 of 1,790
51st percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#1,064 of 1,856
42nd percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#481 of 1,861
74th percentile in Pennsylvania
How in-state ranks are ordered
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.
Gauge source note
54th percentile nationally for median household income · 80th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Old Forge's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Old Forge's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Old Forge's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$169,700Among the most affordablemore affordable than 67% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Old Forge's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,045 of 15,516
More affordable than 80% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,810 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.3×, Old Forge sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,045 of 15,516 and #2,810 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$73,258Old Forge, PA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Old Forge, PA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Old Forge, PA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)32.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
8,533
Median Income
$73,258
Median Home Value
$169,700
Median Age
47.2
Poverty Rate
4.3%
Labor force participation
64.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
635.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
138.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
496.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Old Forge's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
8,501 residents
2021
8,558 residents
2022
8,586 residents
2023
8,628 residents
2024
8,654 residents
2025
8,640 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1
1
0
$0.2M
2020
27
3
24
$4.3M
2021
34
3
31
$5.3M
2022
22
2
20
$3.4M
2023
21
1
20
$3.1M
2024
2
2
0
$0.5M
Permit volume increased 100% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.3%
Carpool
11.3%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
1.6%
Work from Home
10.0%
Based on 4,396 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Pennsylvania statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $260
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Pennsylvania at $260 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $52 ).
These are Pennsylvania statewide averages, not a meter reading for Old Forge. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Pennsylvania's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Old Forge is $1,225/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Pennsylvania statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 67.4 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Pennsylvania statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Old Forge sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Old Forge compares to similar-size Pennsylvania cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.