The Town Files

North East, Pennsylvania

Township in Erie County · population 6,529 (2020 Census)

North East, Pennsylvania
Photo: Nyttend (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$211,300
Household income
$80,198
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 83°
Snow a year
176 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
42.1

North East is a township of 6,529 people in Erie County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $211,300, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for cycling than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, easier by car than 79% of Pennsylvania towns.

Map: where North East is in PennsylvaniaNorth East
North East in our rankings:

How North East 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.

North East lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement21st pctFamilies66th pctQuiet40th pctWalkability21st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals59th pctVibrancy42nd pctHip & trendy41st pctCollege town47th pctUpscale63rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling93rd pctTransitbottomDriving79th 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 North East is worth $211,300, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $80,198, which is more affordable than 64% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $777 a month. 88.9% of households own their home.

North East vs Erie County vs typical Pennsylvania townNorth EastErie CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$211,300$177,000$214,250Household income$80,198$63,354$75,278Monthly rent$777$904$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingNorth EastTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$211,300$214,250
Median rent$777$996
Median household income$80,198$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.6×2.8×
Homeownership88.9%81.5%
Median year built19711971
Seasonal / vacation homes3.2%—

Who lives in North East

PeopleNorth EastTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age42.144.2
Age 65 and over20.0%21.1%
Under 1823.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.7%23.8%
Below the poverty line9.8%8.5%
Veterans5.7%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home12.9%10.6%
Average commute19.0 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband84.0%89.0%

Weather in North East

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 20.6°F. About 43.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 176.1 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 117 nights at or below freezing.

North East monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing34°21°Jan36°21°Feb44°28°Mar57°38°Apr69°50°May78°60°Jun83°64°Jul80°63°Aug73°57°Sep61°47°Oct49°36°Nov39°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.648.92.429.42.928.13.55.83.80.13.64.43.84.64.91.43.820.53.242.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Westfield 2 Sse station (14.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of North East since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 9, 2025 about 8.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 9, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of North East by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s02000s02010s12020s
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 13 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 14, 2019.

Severe weather in Erie County since 1996

Storm events in Erie County since 1996 by typeHail144Flood16Drought10High Wind101Heavy Snow133Waterspout16Flash Flood60Strong Wind21
NOAA Storm Events Database, Erie County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Erie County has been included in 11 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 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina
September 19, 2004Severe StormDR-1555: Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances

Jobs and pay in Erie County

Erie County had 119,552 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,524 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in North East itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.

Largest industries in Erie CountyHealth care & social assistan…25,769 jobs · $56,022Manufacturing19,201 jobs · $68,297Retail13,332 jobs · $33,688Hotels & restaurants10,896 jobs · $19,961Finance & insurance5,353 jobs · $94,324Other services4,629 jobs · $34,436
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Erie County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Erie 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near North East

North East questions

Is North East, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, North East scores better for retirees than 21% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 40%. 20.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.1).

How much does a house cost in North East?

The median owner-occupied home in North East is valued at $211,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $80,198, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $777 a month.

What is the weather like in North East?

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 20.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.5 inches of precipitation a year and 176.1 inches of snow.

Does North East get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of North East since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 9, 2025. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to North East's Census boundary (GEOID 4204954960). 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.