Is Arnold, PA a Good Place to Live?
Arnold is a small town of 4,778 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $38,150 and a 13.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.
Strengths: Arnold stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Arnold is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Arnold city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 94.4Arnold's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Arnold costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Arnold, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $72,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $862 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 57.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $38,150 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageArnold's violent crime rate is 839.8 per 100,000 residents — 121% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Arnold is served primarily by New Kensington-Arnold SD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Arnold, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | New Kensington-Arnold SD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 15.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Arnold sees average highs of 36.5°F in January and 83.4°F in July, with 42.2 inches of annual precipitation and 25.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Arnold, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 36.5°F |
| Average High — July | 83.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 25.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Arnold, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,778 | — |
| Median Age | 42.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 13.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 67.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 25.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.3% | 16.8% |