The Town FilesMessiah College, Pennsylvania
Community in Cumberland County · population 2,841 (2020 Census)
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 26 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 17
- Median age
- 20.4
Messiah College is a community of 2,841 people in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It ranks more of a college town than 100% of Pennsylvania towns, better for young professionals than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 89% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Messiah College 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.
Homes and cost of living
50.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Messiah College | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $214,250 |
| Median rent | — | $996 |
| Median household income | — | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 50.0% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Messiah College
| People | Messiah College | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 20.4 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 0.1% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 0.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.3% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 0.0% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 0.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.4% | — |
| Work from home | 13.1% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 9.8 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 50.0% | 89.0% |
Weather in Messiah College
July highs average 87.6°F and January lows 24.9°F. About 41.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 26.3 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 102 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Messiah College since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on April 28, 2011 about 4.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 26, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 1, 1976.
Severe weather in Cumberland County since 1996
Cumberland County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| March 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| September 12, 2011 | Flood | DR-4030: Tropical Storm Lee |
Jobs and pay in Cumberland County
Cumberland County had 137,668 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,149 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Messiah College itself the ACS puts it at 8.3%.
Towns near Messiah College
- Upper Allen, PA1.5 mi · 23,183 people · home $279,800
- Monaghan, PA2.0 mi · 2,675 people · home $315,600
- Carroll, PA3.8 mi · 6,853 people · home $354,500
- Mechanicsburg, PA3.9 mi · 9,311 people · home $241,200
- Dillsburg, PA4.1 mi · 2,635 people · home $240,300
- Lower Allen, PA4.6 mi · 20,099 people · home $260,400
- Monroe, PA4.8 mi · 6,230 people · home $359,400
- Lower Allen, PA6.4 mi · 7,465 people · home $263,200
Messiah College questions
Is Messiah College, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Messiah College scores better for retirees than 3% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 1%. 0.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 20.4).
What is the weather like in Messiah College?
July highs average 87.6°F and January lows 24.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.0 inches of precipitation a year and 26.3 inches of snow.
Does Messiah College get tornadoes?
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Messiah College since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on April 28, 2011. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)