The Town FilesShippensburg, Pennsylvania
Borough in Cumberland County · population 5,478 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $177,700
- Household income
- $51,503
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 34 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 34.9
Shippensburg is a borough of 5,478 people in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $177,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better transit than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, better for cycling than 90% of Pennsylvania towns, more of a college town than 89% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Shippensburg 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
The median home in Shippensburg is worth $177,700, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $51,503, which is more affordable than 21% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $891 a month. 44.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Shippensburg | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $177,700 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $891 | $996 |
| Median household income | $51,503 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 44.2% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1953 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Shippensburg
| People | Shippensburg | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.9 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.4% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 20.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.0% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.8% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 13.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.3% | — |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 19.8 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 82.4% | 89.0% |
Weather in Shippensburg
July highs average 87.4°F and January lows 22.1°F. About 42.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.6 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 30 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 111 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shippensburg since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 16, 1961 about 0.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 17, 2004.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 16 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on June 29, 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 Shippensburg itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.
Public schools in Shippensburg
6 public schools with 3,670 students, about 15.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shippensburg Area SHS | 9-12 | 1,125 | 16.8 |
| Shippensburg Area MS | 6-8 | 846 | 14.1 |
| Nancy Grayson El Sch | K-3 | 533 | 16.2 |
| James Burd El Sch | K-3 | 522 | 14.5 |
| Shippensburg Area Intrm Sch | 4-5 | 514 | 16.1 |
| Grace B Luhrs Univ Elem | K-5 | 130 | 26.0 |
Towns near Shippensburg
- Southampton, PA2.1 mi · 8,566 people · home $229,500
- Southampton, PA3.5 mi · 7,504 people · home $265,600
- Greene, PA6.8 mi · 18,436 people · home $261,300
- North Newton, PA7.6 mi · 2,546 people · home $255,200
- Fayetteville, PA9.7 mi · 3,208 people · home $194,900
- Guilford, PA9.9 mi · 2,923 people · home $278,100
- Penn, PA10.2 mi · 2,874 people · home $237,800
- Chambersburg, PA10.7 mi · 21,903 people · home $215,000
Shippensburg questions
Is Shippensburg, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shippensburg scores better for retirees than 12% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 7%. 21.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.9).
How much does a house cost in Shippensburg?
The median owner-occupied home in Shippensburg is valued at $177,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,503, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $891 a month.
What is the weather like in Shippensburg?
July highs average 87.4°F and January lows 22.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.5 inches of precipitation a year and 33.6 inches of snow.
Does Shippensburg get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shippensburg since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 16, 1961. 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)