Map the Block › Places › Pennsylvania › Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania in numbers: crime, income, hazards
The violent-crime rate in Centre County was 0.99 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 62% lower than the statewide rate (2.6). The median household earns $74,291 and the unemployment rate was 3.0% in August 2026. Population: about 158,576 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Centre County?
From 2021 through 2025, Centre County averaged 158 reported violent crimes a year, along with 942 property crimes. That is 0.99 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 62% lower than the Pennsylvania rate (2.6), and 73% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 5.9 per 1,000 residents, compared with 14.2 across Pennsylvania. CDC death records show about 2 homicide deaths a year in the county (1.2 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Centre County | Per 1,000 | Pennsylvania per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 158 | 0.99 | 2.6 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 1 | 0.01 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 77 | 0.48 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.04 | 0.58 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 74 | 0.46 | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 942 | 5.9 | 14.2 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 70 | 0.44 | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 840 | 5.2 | 11.0 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 32 | 0.20 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (6 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Centre County?
Median household income is $74,291, close to the statewide figure ($77,971). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $323,500, and the median rent is $1,207 a month. 8.3% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 14.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,322 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Centre County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,576 | 13,018,639 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $74,291 | $77,971 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $323,500 | $250,000+ | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,207 | $1,209 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.3% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 16.3% | 11.7% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 8.3% | 14.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 46.2% | 35.2% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 61.8% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 34.2 | 40.9 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 85.5% | 89.7% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.2% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Centre County?
Centre County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Centre County: Centre County Kepone. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Centre County has 11 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 4 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 5 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Foster Joseph Sayers Dam (100 ft) and Rockview Reservoir (53 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
8 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 15,252 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Centre County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 43 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 7 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Centre County?
Pennsylvania does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Centre County is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Centre County?
Federal school lists show 33 public and 36 private schools in the county. 6 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 23 fire or EMS stations and 8 police or sheriff stations. 5 state parks or recreation areas: Bald Eagle State Park, Black Moshannon State Park, McCalls Dam State Park, Poe Paddy State Park and Poe Valley State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Centre County
Gun shops
9 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Centre County, plus 28 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Ballistic Engineering LLC (Millheim), Belding & Mull INC (Philipsburg), Dugans Custom Gun Works LLC (Port Matilda), Dunham's Sports #9234 (State College), Hunters Warehouse (Bellefonte), Ports Sports Emporium (Bellefonte), Rmc Ox Yoke LLC (Bellefonte), Rural King (State College) and 1 more.
Liquor stores
8 liquor stores are on the map in Centre County: Fine Wine & Good Spirits (Bellefonte), Fine Wine & Good Spirits (Snow Shoe), Fine Wine & Good Spirits (5 in State College) and Wines & Spirits (State College). Pennsylvania has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Centre County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Centre County?
Centre County averaged 158 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.99 per 1,000 residents, 62% lower than the Pennsylvania rate (2.6). The property-crime rate was 5.9 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Centre County?
$74,291 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $77,971 for Pennsylvania and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Centre County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,322 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Centre County?
Centre County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Are there Superfund sites in Centre County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Centre County: Centre County Kepone.
How many nursing homes are in Centre County?
6 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Centre County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blair County | 121,277 | 1.5 | $62,382 |
| Clearfield County | 78,635 | 1.5 | $62,152 |
| Clinton County | 37,798 | 1.4 | $60,816 |
| Huntingdon County | 43,653 | 1.4 | $65,557 |
| Mifflin County | 46,041 | 1.8 | $63,953 |
| Union County | 42,456 | 0.95 | $76,404 |
More: Pennsylvania statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms