City profile · Pennsylvania · Census ACS 2023

Waterford, PA

Waterford's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

1,254
Residents
$58,875
Median income
$163,000
Median home
$1,225
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Waterford.

Place dossier plate

Sheet PA-WATERFORD-PA · Waterford, PA 1,254 pop · income 33rd pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 1,254
  • INC-MID $58,875
  • COL-PAR 97.6
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 33rd
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Atwood
  • HOME-LOW $163,000
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Atwood, IL (+ $0 income $)

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 Waterford

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Waterford on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Waterford on ACS population and median household income . 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: 1,254.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $58,875. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Waterford - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Waterford places in the 33rd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

33rd
percentile, household income
31st
percentile, home value
54th
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: Waterford, PA

Waterford is a small town in Pennsylvania, home to 1,254 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Waterford households earn a median of $58,875 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.6%. Typical homes in Waterford are valued around $163,000, and the median resident age is 48.3 years. Educational attainment runs 18.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 53.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits).

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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,225 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Pennsylvania's average monthly utility costs around $260 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 67.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Waterford'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 work and mobility to comparison shortlist to population change to schools and households to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Waterford, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Waterford?

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.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 74.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for Waterford?

Within Pennsylvania, the closest population matches are Birchwood Lakes (1,255 residents, $52,164 income); Mars (1,255 residents, $58,000 income); West Leechburg (1,257 residents, $76,042 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hasley Canyon, CA (1,254 residents); Whitewater, CA (1,254 residents); Mansura, LA (1,254 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.

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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

3. Population change

Is Waterford growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -41 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 4

What does the education layer cover for Waterford?

The NCES join finds 3 public schools within the city match. 18.9% 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.

The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.

See how the family ranking is built →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

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.

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Waterford?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Household income
$58,875
Home value
$163,000
Value / income
2.8×

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

1,254 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$58,875 /yr

Below median income · poverty 12.6% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.6 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average

City profile score · Waterford, PA

36/100

4 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.

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.

Household income F
$58,875

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share F
18.9%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Poverty rate F
12.6%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Waterford profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Household income, Bachelor's+ share, Poverty rate. Cost of livingHousehold incomeBachelor's+ sharePoverty rate 36 F
Waterford profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 50/100 (C-) · 97.6 index
  • Household income: 33/100 (F) · $58,875
  • Bachelor's+ share: 31/100 (F) · 18.9%
  • Poverty rate: 29/100 (F) · 12.6%

How does Waterford compare to other US cities?

Waterford measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 33% higher than other cities
Home value 31% pricier than other cities
Median rent 54% 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 Waterford 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 Waterford near the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities

Among the 1,865 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Waterford ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Waterford only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1,158 of 1,765
34th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,865
0th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Home Value
#942 of 1,790
47th percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#418 of 1,856
77th percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,096 of 1,861
41st 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.

33rdIncome percentile
Gauge source note

33rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Waterford's home value compares nationally

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

$163,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 69% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Waterford $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

Waterford's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,406 of 15,516
More affordable than 65% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,708 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.8×, Waterford sits in the affordable band: national rank #5,406 of 15,516 and #4,708 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

$58,875 Waterford, PA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Waterford, PA Waterford, PA's median household income ($58,875) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Waterford, PA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Waterford, PA median $58,875/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%
Waterford, 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 Waterford, PA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 18.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.3%

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

Population
1,254
Median Income
$58,875
Median Home Value
$163,000
Median Age
48.3
Poverty Rate
12.6%
Labor force participation
53.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.9%

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,420 residents1,440 residents1,460 residents1,480 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,471 residents 1,430 residents ▼ -2.8%
Waterford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 1,471 residents
2021 1,465 residents
2022 1,453 residents
2023 1,444 residents
2024 1,438 residents
2025 1,430 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 1
2021 1
2022 1
2023 1
2024 0

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.3%
Carpool
14.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
5.7%
Work from Home
6.0%

Based on 564 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 Waterford. 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 Waterford 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 Waterford sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Waterford 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.

City Population Median Household Income
Waterford (this city) 1,254 $58,875
Birchwood Lakes 1,255 $52,164
Mars 1,255 $58,000
West Leechburg 1,257 $76,042
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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