Is Mars, PA a Good Place to Live?
Mars is a small town of 1,169 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $57,700 and a 2.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.
Strengths: Mars stands out for an affordable cost of living, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Mars is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Mars 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: 94.4Mars's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Mars costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Mars, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $266,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $872 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 53.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $57,700 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Mars is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Mars is served primarily by Mars Area SD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Mars, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Mars Area SD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Mars sees average highs of 34.3°F in January and 81.7°F in July, with 42.4 inches of annual precipitation and 34.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Mars, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 34.3°F |
| Average High — July | 81.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 34.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Mars, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,169 | — |
| Median Age | 58.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 8.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 33.5% | 16.8% |