The Town Files

Cresson, Pennsylvania

Township in Cambria County · population 2,839 (2020 Census)

Map: where Cresson is in PennsylvaniaCresson
Median home
$167,100
Household income
$61,875
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 81°
Snow a year
38 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
44.0

Cresson is a township of 2,839 people in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $167,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more of a college town than 96% of Pennsylvania towns, more vibrant than 71% of Pennsylvania towns, better for young professionals than 70% of Pennsylvania towns.

Cresson in our rankings:

How Cresson 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.

Cresson lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement62nd pctFamilies21st pctQuiet23rd pctWalkability67th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals70th pctVibrancy71st pctHip & trendy63rd pctCollege town96th pctUpscale35th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit62nd pctDriving67th 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 Cresson is worth $167,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $61,875, which is more affordable than 59% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $413 a month. 72.5% of households own their home.

Cresson vs Cambria County vs typical Pennsylvania townCressonCambria CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$167,100$121,000$214,250Household income$61,875$58,418$75,278Monthly rent$413$739$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingCressonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$167,100$214,250
Median rent$413$996
Median household income$61,875$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.7×2.8×
Homeownership72.5%81.5%
Median year built19801971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Cresson

PeopleCressonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age44.044.2
Age 65 and over25.2%21.1%
Under 1812.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher23.9%23.8%
Below the poverty line14.9%8.5%
Veterans7.8%—
Born outside the U.S.2.9%—
Work from home3.1%10.6%
Average commute24.9 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband76.5%89.0%

Weather in Cresson

July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 18.8°F. About 44.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.1 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 128 nights at or below freezing.

Cresson monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing34°19°Jan37°20°Feb46°28°Mar60°39°Apr70°49°May77°57°Jun81°61°Jul80°60°Aug73°53°Sep61°42°Oct49°33°Nov38°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.910.12.611.03.57.63.80.64.44.24.23.94.33.83.61.23.47.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Altoona 3 W station (6.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cresson since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 19, 1996 about 5.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 13, 2018.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Cresson by decade01950s01960s11970s21980s11990s02000s12010s02020s
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 9 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on May 15, 2018.

Severe weather in Cambria County since 1996

Storm events in Cambria County since 1996 by typeHail33Flood13Drought7Tornado10High Wind35Ice Storm15Heavy Snow53Flash Flood38
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cambria County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 11, 2024Tropical StormDR-4815: Tropical Storm Debby
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 8, 2011FloodEM-3340: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee

Jobs and pay in Cambria County

Cambria County had 47,545 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,791 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Cresson itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.

Largest industries in Cambria CountyHealth care & social assistan…9,974 jobs · $57,025Retail6,068 jobs · $32,295Manufacturing4,191 jobs · $61,370Hotels & restaurants3,974 jobs · $17,325Other services2,109 jobs · $32,971Administrative & support1,981 jobs · $38,123
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cambria County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Cambria 4.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Cresson

Cresson questions

Is Cresson, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cresson scores better for retirees than 62% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 23%. 25.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.0).

How much does a house cost in Cresson?

The median owner-occupied home in Cresson is valued at $167,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,875, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $413 a month.

What is the weather like in Cresson?

July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 18.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.7 inches of precipitation a year and 38.1 inches of snow.

Does Cresson get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cresson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 19, 1996. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Cresson's Census boundary (GEOID 4202117144). 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.