Is Shippensburg, PA a Good Place to Live?
Shippensburg is a small town of 5,688 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $50,963 and a 3.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Shippensburg stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Shippensburg is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Shippensburg 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: 96.5Shippensburg's overall cost of living index is 96.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Shippensburg costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Shippensburg, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $153,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $898 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 44.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $50,963 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeShippensburg's violent crime rate is 106.6 per 100,000 residents — 72% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Shippensburg is served primarily by Shippensburg Area SD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Shippensburg, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Shippensburg Area SD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 33.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Shippensburg sees average highs of 38.3°F in January and 87.4°F in July, with 42.5 inches of annual precipitation and 33.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Shippensburg, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 38.3°F |
| Average High — July | 87.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 33.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Shippensburg, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,688 | — |
| Median Age | 34.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 92.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Shippensburg
Shippensburg, PA is covered by 1 ZIP code: