Is Clairton, PA a Good Place to Live?
Clairton is a small town of 6,182 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $41,301 and a 10.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.
Strengths: Clairton stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Clairton is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Clairton 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: 94.4Clairton's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Clairton costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Clairton, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $54,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $925 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 59.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $41,301 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageClairton's violent crime rate is 425.4 per 100,000 residents — 12% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Clairton is served primarily by Clairton City SD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Clairton, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Clairton City SD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 19.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Clairton sees average highs of 38.5°F in January and 85.0°F in July, with 42.4 inches of annual precipitation and 21.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Clairton, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 38.5°F |
| Average High — July | 85.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 21.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Clairton, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,182 | — |
| Median Age | 41.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 29.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 52.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 40.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.5% | 16.8% |