The Town Files

Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

Borough in Allegheny County · population 8,249 (2020 Census)

Map: where Castle Shannon is in PennsylvaniaCastle Shannon
Median home
$190,300
Household income
$64,071
Jan low / Jul high
22° / 83°
Snow a year
32 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
21
Median age
40.0

Castle Shannon is a borough of 8,249 people in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $190,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more vibrant than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, better transit than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, more walkable than 94% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Castle Shannon ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Castle Shannon lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement52nd pctFamilies26th pctQuiet9th pctWalkability94th pctFirst-time buyers94th pctYoung professionals94th pctVibrancy99th pctHip & trendy94th pctCollege town93rd pctUpscale70th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit99th pctDriving4th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Castle Shannon is worth $190,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $64,071, which is more affordable than 43% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,126 a month. 59.1% of households own their home.

Castle Shannon vs Allegheny County vs typical Pennsylvania townCastle ShannonAllegheny CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$190,300$227,600$214,250Household income$64,071$78,548$75,278Monthly rent$1,126$1,153$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingCastle ShannonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$190,300$214,250
Median rent$1,126$996
Median household income$64,071$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.0×2.8×
Homeownership59.1%81.5%
Median year built19551971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Castle Shannon

PeopleCastle ShannonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age40.044.2
Age 65 and over17.8%21.1%
Under 1814.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher37.1%23.8%
Below the poverty line10.5%8.5%
Veterans5.5%—
Born outside the U.S.4.9%—
Work from home12.3%10.6%
Average commute24.6 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband93.9%89.0%

Weather in Castle Shannon

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 22.3°F. About 41.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 31.7 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 106 nights at or below freezing.

Castle Shannon monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°22°Jan40°24°Feb49°31°Mar63°42°Apr72°52°May79°60°Jun83°64°Jul81°63°Aug75°56°Sep63°45°Oct51°35°Nov41°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.110.92.67.93.25.13.40.54.14.63.93.83.53.10.23.01.43.05.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Ap station (5.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Castle Shannon since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 3, 1963 about 8.0 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 125 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 21, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Castle Shannon by decade21950s11960s31970s11980s11990s22000s22010s92020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 119 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on April 14, 1984.

Severe weather in Allegheny County since 1996

Storm events in Allegheny County since 1996 by typeHail382Flood125Tornado17High Wind38Lightning10Heavy Rain31Heavy Snow15Flash Flood504
NOAA Storm Events Database, Allegheny County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 12 deaths recorded.

Allegheny County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
April 16, 2010SnowstormDR-1898: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms

Jobs and pay in Allegheny County

Allegheny County had 670,637 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $78,297 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Castle Shannon itself the ACS puts it at 0.4%.

Largest industries in Allegheny CountyHealth care & social assistan…131,526 jobs · $70,463Retail62,533 jobs · $40,601Hotels & restaurants57,967 jobs · $27,674Professional & technical serv…57,261 jobs · $124,494Finance & insurance39,058 jobs · $123,760Education35,620 jobs · $73,980
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Allegheny County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Allegheny 3.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Castle Shannon

Castle Shannon questions

Is Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Castle Shannon scores better for retirees than 52% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 9%. 17.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.0).

How much does a house cost in Castle Shannon?

The median owner-occupied home in Castle Shannon is valued at $190,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,071, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,126 a month.

What is the weather like in Castle Shannon?

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 22.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.3 inches of precipitation a year and 31.7 inches of snow.

Does Castle Shannon get tornadoes?

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Castle Shannon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 3, 1963. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Castle Shannon's Census boundary (GEOID 4211680). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.