The Town Files

German, Pennsylvania

Township in Fayette County · population 4,669 (2020 Census)

Map: where German is in PennsylvaniaGerman
Median home
$123,200
Household income
$61,834
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 84°
Snow a year
18 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
46.2

German is a township of 4,669 people in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $123,200, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 91% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 85% of Pennsylvania towns, better for young professionals than 73% of Pennsylvania towns.

How German 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.

German lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement12th pctFamilies13th pctQuiet40th pctWalkability54th pctFirst-time buyers85th pctYoung professionals73rd pctVibrancy60th pctHip & trendy64th pctCollege town2nd pctUpscale43rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit43rd pctDriving91st 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 German is worth $123,200, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $61,834, which is more affordable than 89% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,327 a month. 75.7% of households own their home.

German vs Fayette County vs typical Pennsylvania townGermanFayette CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$123,200$143,200$214,250Household income$61,834$58,236$75,278Monthly rent$1,327$793$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingGermanTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$123,200$214,250
Median rent$1,327$996
Median household income$61,834$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.0×2.8×
Homeownership75.7%81.5%
Median year built19591971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in German

PeopleGermanTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age46.244.2
Age 65 and over26.4%21.1%
Under 1821.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher21.5%23.8%
Below the poverty line7.6%8.5%
Veterans7.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.3%—
Work from home1.9%10.6%
Average commute29.0 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband88.6%89.0%

Weather in German

July highs average 84.4°F and January lows 20.6°F. About 42.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.4 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 nights at or below freezing.

German monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°21°Jan42°22°Feb51°28°Mar64°37°Apr73°48°May81°57°Jun84°62°Jul83°61°Aug77°54°Sep65°42°Oct53°31°Nov43°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.36.12.65.93.61.93.80.14.14.34.23.63.43.03.00.33.24.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Grays Landing station (7.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of German since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on October 1, 1986 about 6.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 16, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of German by decade01950s11960s11970s11980s11990s02000s12010s22020s
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 22 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 8, 2022.

Severe weather in Fayette County since 1996

Storm events in Fayette County since 1996 by typeHail108Flood38Drought5Tornado15High Wind14Ice Storm8Heavy Snow23Flash Flood125
NOAA Storm Events Database, Fayette County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
October 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Fayette County

Fayette County had 37,892 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,069 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in 2023; in German itself the ACS puts it at 6%.

Largest industries in Fayette CountyHealth care & social assistan…7,409 jobs · $51,790Retail5,195 jobs · $33,579Hotels & restaurants4,771 jobs · $28,892Manufacturing3,496 jobs · $63,366Construction1,622 jobs · $61,724Transportation & warehousing1,622 jobs · $50,249
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Fayette County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Fayette 4.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in German

2 public schools with 681 students, about 13.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Albert Gallatin North MS6-837114.3
George J Plava El SchK-531013.5

Towns near German

German questions

Is German, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, German scores better for retirees than 12% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 40%. 26.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.2).

How much does a house cost in German?

The median owner-occupied home in German is valued at $123,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,834, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $1,327 a month.

What is the weather like in German?

July highs average 84.4°F and January lows 20.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.1 inches of precipitation a year and 18.4 inches of snow.

Does German get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of German since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on October 1, 1986. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to German's Census boundary (GEOID 4205128856). 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 2026-11-12.