Is Beaver, PA a Good Place to Live?
Beaver is a small town of 4,407 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $75,532 and a 6.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.
Strengths: Beaver stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Beaver is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Beaver 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: 94.4Beaver's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Beaver costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Beaver, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $231,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $874 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 66.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $75,532 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeBeaver's violent crime rate is 40.7 per 100,000 residents — 89% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Beaver is served primarily by Beaver Area SD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Beaver, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Beaver Area SD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 50.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Beaver sees average highs of 35.9°F in January and 83.1°F in July, with 40.3 inches of annual precipitation and 19.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Beaver, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 35.9°F |
| Average High — July | 83.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 19.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Beaver, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,407 | — |
| Median Age | 45.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 26.6% | 16.8% |