Is Mount Oliver, PA a Good Place to Live?
Mount Oliver is a small town of 3,357 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $35,640 and a 10.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.
Strengths: Mount Oliver stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Mount Oliver is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Mount Oliver 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: 94.4Mount Oliver's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Mount Oliver costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Mount Oliver, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $71,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,035 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 45.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $35,640 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimeMount Oliver's violent crime rate is 931.4 per 100,000 residents — 145% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Mount Oliver, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 16.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 77.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Mount Oliver sees average highs of 36.6°F in January and 83.0°F in July, with 41.3 inches of annual precipitation and 44.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Mount Oliver, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 36.6°F |
| Average High — July | 83.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 44.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Mount Oliver, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,357 | — |
| Median Age | 36.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 42.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 53.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 37.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 4.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 26.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.3% | 16.8% |