City profile · Pennsylvania · Census ACS 2023

Tower City, PA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Tower City - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,542
Residents
$69,750
Median income
$110,700
Median home
$1,411
Median rent (state)

Tower City - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Tower City places in the 49th percentile for household income and the 99th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

49th
percentile, household income
13th
percentile, home value
55th
percentile, median rent
99th
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: Tower City, PA

1,542 people live in Tower City, Pennsylvania - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $69,750 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.7%. Typical homes in Tower City are valued around $110,700, and the median resident age is 40.7 years. 13.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 54.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Tower City reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 0.0 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Pennsylvania tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Pennsylvania at 97.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,411 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Pennsylvania's average monthly utility costs around $260 (state average). Commute times here average 31.8 minutes, with 77.5% driving alone and 8.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 79.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).

Population

1,542 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Pennsylvania

Median Household Income

$69,750 /yr

Poverty 4.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average

How does Tower City compare to other US cities?

Here's how Tower City stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 13% pricier than other cities
Median rent 55% pricier than other cities
Safety 99% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Pennsylvania alone, Tower City ranks #16 of 402 Pennsylvania cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Tower City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Pennsylvania only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Pennsylvania-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Tower City toward the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities

Among the 1,861 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Tower City ranks #1,435 - the 22nd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Tower City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#810 of 1,765
54th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Gross Rent
#504 of 1,865
71st percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Home Value
#1,385 of 1,790
23rd percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#1,019 of 1,856
44th percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,435 of 1,861
22nd 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.

49thIncome percentile
99thSafety percentile

49th percentile nationally for median household income · 99th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Tower City's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Tower City'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 71 Avg. percentile National median
Tower City'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 Tower City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$110,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 87% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Tower City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Tower City, PA Tower City, PA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Tower City, PA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Tower City, PA median $69,750/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Tower City, PA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Tower City, PA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 13.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,542
Median Income
$69,750
Median Home Value
$110,700
Median Age
40.7
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Labor force participation
54.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
0.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
0.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
0.0
per 100,000 residents

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

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,415 residents1,420 residents1,425 residents1,430 residents1,435 residents1,440 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,420 residents 1,434 residents ▲ +1.0%
Tower City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
31.8 minutes
Drive Alone
77.5%
Carpool
11.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
8.0%

Based on 699 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 Tower City sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,411/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
79.9 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Pennsylvania

Cherryville
1,541 people
Ferndale
1,537 people
Centre Hall
1,548 people
Scotland
1,535 people
Avon
1,532 people
Springmont
1,552 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Tower City's 1,542 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Daniels, WV
1,542 people
Winchester, IL
1,543 people
Princeton, NC
1,543 people
Chenoweth, OR
1,543 people
Coburg, OR
1,541 people
John Day, OR
1,543 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Tower City's $69,750 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Shellsburg, IA
$69,750 median income
Wright, MN
$69,750 median income
New Salem, ND
$69,750 median income
Woodsdale, OH
$69,750 median income
East Highland Park, VA
$69,750 median income
Gibbon, NE
$69,762 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Tower City, PA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Tower City, PA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 97.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.4% White 97.9% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 1.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Tower City 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
Tower City (this city) 1,542 $69,750
Cherryville 1,541 $87,083
Ferndale 1,537 $56,951
Centre Hall 1,548 $70,469
Census ACS 5-year FIPS PA FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Tower City, PA?

What is the population of Tower City, PA? +

The population of Tower City, PA stands at 1,542 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Tower City, PA? +

Median annual household income in Tower City runs $69,750, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Tower City? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Tower City; 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.

Is Tower City, PA safe? +

Tower City has a total crime rate of 0.0 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Tower City, PA? +

Homes in Tower City carry a median value of $110,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, 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 PlainCities

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Every 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.