Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety70#279/924
Economy29#655/925
Housing91#85/925
Health41#547/925
Healthcare35#599/923
Environment79#194/917
Education22#721/925
Infrastructure6#867/925
Community75#235/925
Leisure & amenities39#567/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Somerset, PA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Social associations · high22.6 /10k
100/100Pennsylvania 11.9 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Hot days · low1 days
97/100Pennsylvania 7 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low9.5%
94/100Pennsylvania 13.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low39.5%
88/100Pennsylvania 48.2%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Home price to income ratio · low2.5×
88/100Pennsylvania 3.3×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Property crime rate · low628 /100k
88/100Pennsylvania 1,324 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high29.1 /100k
7/100Pennsylvania 14.2 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · low82.0%
7/100Pennsylvania 89.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Job growth · low-2.7%
9/100Pennsylvania -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
New business applications · low8.0 /1k
9/100Pennsylvania 12.4 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · low34 /100k
9/100Pennsylvania 80 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Adult smoking · high19.7%
10/100Pennsylvania 15.6%United States 16.1%2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 16% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+16 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
4.9 /1k (2020) → 8.0 /1k (2025)
+64%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Suicide rateWorsening
17.8 /100k (2021) → 29.1 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+63%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
34.3 /100k (2021) → 14.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−57%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
111 /100k (2021) → 171 /100k (2025)
+53%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.4% (2015-2019) → 82.0% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Somerset, PA micropolitan area improved on 12 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 6 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Rent burden−6 points45.5% → 39.5%
Traffic deaths−18%16.7 /100k → 13.7 /100k
Unemployment−4.3 points9.0% → 4.7%
Child poverty−5.7 points20.3% → 14.5%
New businesses+64%4.9 /1k → 8.0 /1k

Declined6

Suicides+95%14.9 /100k → 29.1 /100k
Grocery stores−19%1.9 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Restaurants−11%8.8 /10k → 7.8 /10k
Firearm deaths+13%13.5 /100k → 15.2 /100k
Pharmacies−12%1.9 /10k → 1.7 /10k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Somerset, PA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.9 /10k2020	4.0 /10k2025	+2.8%	Little change	35%
Average commute time	25.2 min2015-2019	24.9 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	72%
Average weekly wage	$8302020	$1,0022025	+21%	Improved	28%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.9%2015-2019	17.9%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Improved	33%
Broadband subscriptions	71.4%2015-2019	82.0%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	68%
Child poverty rate	20.3%2015-2019	14.5%2020-2024	−5.7 points	Improved	82%
Distance to an airport	73 mi2020	73 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	24.3 /100k2020	14.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−39%	Improved	68%
Effective property tax rate	1.20%2015-2019	0.99%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	76%
Firearm deaths	13.5 /100k2020	15.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+13%	Declined	32%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	11%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.4 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	+2.8%	Little change	49%
High school diploma or higher	88.2%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	73%
Homicide rate	3.7 /100k2020	2.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−32%	Improved	59%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,5862019	$56,9522024	+25%	Improved	8%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4242015-2019	0.4242020-2024	0.000	Within the margin of error	54%
Median household income	$49,0892015-2019	$61,4462020-2024	+25%	Improved	40%
New business applications	4.9 /1k2020	8.0 /1k2025	+64%	Improved	74%
Pharmacies	1.9 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	41%
Poverty rate	12.4%2015-2019	11.0%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.8 /10k2024	+1.7%	Little change	75%
Rent as share of income	27.7%2015-2019	25.9%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Rent-burdened households	45.5%2015-2019	39.5%2020-2024	−6 points	Improved	91%
Restaurants and bars	8.8 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	10%
Suicide rate	14.9 /100k2020	29.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+95%	Declined	2%
Traffic deaths	16.7 /100k2015-2019	13.7 /100k2020-2024	−18%	Improved	86%
Unemployment rate	9.0%2020	4.7%2025	−4.3 points	Improved	85%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.5%2015-2019	8.5%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	40%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Somerset, PA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Somerset, PA micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Somerset, PA micropolitan area itself moved +0.4 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

72,799 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

29,344 households (±423)

Somerset, PA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k18%5,163
$25k–50k23%6,616
$50k–75k19%5,534

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

29,344 households (±423)

Somerset, PA micropolitan area
United States share

Own80%23,594
Rent20%5,750

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.3 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

31,499 workers (±697)

Somerset, PA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone80%25,292
Carpool7.7%2,436
Public transit0.1%†36

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Somerset, PA micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Somerset, PA has 1,647 employer establishments, 228 for every 10,000 residents (0.92× the US rate of 248), with 18,678 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,427. The Census Bureau also counts 4,734 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,647; 4,734 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 228; US 248
Paid employees: 18,678
Average annual pay: $52,427; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Somerset, PA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	125	17.3	3.12×More than typical	583	$27,077	—
Specialty trade contractors	107	14.8	0.96×About typical	697	$64,077	601
Ambulatory health care services	101	14	0.67×Fewer than typical	927	$66,261	169
Restaurants and other eating places	92	12.7	0.69×Fewer than typical	1,268	$16,383	17
Construction of buildings	64	8.9	1.17×About typical	259	$58,162	173
Truck transportation	61	8.4	1.67×More than typical	526	$59,580	123
Full-service restaurants	47	6.5	0.85×About typical	714	$16,697	8
Automotive repair and maintenance	46	6.4	1.26×More than typical	205	$42,478	152
Building equipment contractors	41	5.7	0.94×About typical	266	$57,301	103
Offices of physicians	41	5.7	0.88×About typical	419	$89,088	32
Services to buildings and dwellings	40	5.5	0.82×About typical	149	$39,617	287
Other specialty trade contractors	37	5.1	2.04×More than typical	251	$77,100	238

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 72,270 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $6.4M on contracts performed in Somerset, PA micropolitan area: $89.30 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $6.4M; −5.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $89.30; US $1,994
Sole-source: 4.8%; US 30%
Single offer: 46%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$4.3M67%
Department of the Navy$1.4M21%
Department of the Air Force$604.8K9.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs$229.4K3.6%
National Park Service$104K1.6%
Department of the Army$81.5K1.3%
Federal Acquisition Service$69.4K1.1%

Top recipients

SFC VALVE CORPORATION$3.9M61%
GLOBAL INCORPORATED$1.8M28%
INNOH2O SOLUTIONS LLC$604.8K9.4%
MEYERSDALE SNF OPERATING COMPANY LLC$144.7K2.3%
CAWLEY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC$117.6K1.8%

Spending by fiscal year

31.3MFY2017
26.2MFY2018
22.5MFY2019
16.4MFY2020
14.7MFY2021
8.5MFY2022
7.7MFY2023
12.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$4.3M66%
Hardware manufacturing · 3325$949.1K15%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$604.8K9.4%
Plastics product manufacturing · 3261$388.5K6.0%
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$144.7K2.3%
Water, sewage and other systems · 2213

Largest awards

THIS IS A FIRM-FIXED-PRICE CONTRACT ENTITLED "FHWA RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY (RD&T) PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION CENTER (PDC)" WITH ONE BASE YEAR, FOUR OPTION YEARS, AND ONE TIME AND MATERIAL OTHER DIRECT COST CLIN.$3.5M
SZANCA SOLUTIONS INC· Somerset County, PA· Facilities & utilities· Feb 14, 2017 – Jun 8, 2026· DTFH6114C00042
SBIR III EXPEDITIONARY GRAY WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY MATURATION FOLLOW ON TO FA8649-22-P-0010$1.3M
INNOH2O SOLUTIONS LLC· Somerset County, PA· Research & development· Apr 28, 2025 – Apr 22, 2026· FA239425CB022
FLNI - O&M OF POTABLE & WASTEWATER PLANTS$718.5K
APEX COMPANIES, LLC· Somerset County, PA· Facilities & utilities· Sep 22, 2021 – Sep 10, 2026· 140P4221C0025

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $532.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Somerset, PA micropolitan area: $7,392 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $532.3M; −6.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,392; US $12,955
Loan face value: $15.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$351.4M66%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$47.7M9.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$40.7M7.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$32.2M6.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$13.1M2.5%
20.263 · Bridge Formula Program$8.4M1.6%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$8M1.5%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$6.2M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$24.5M4.6%
HARRISBURG, PA
TABLELAND SERVICES, INC.$2M0.4%
SOMERSET, PA
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF SOMERSET COUNTY$1.8M0.3%
BOSWELL, PA
VILLAGE AT SOMERSET$904.8K0.2%
SOMERSET, PA
SOMERSET TOWERS$501K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$444.5M84%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$47.6M8.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$24.5M4.6%
Department of Transportation
Railroad Retirement Board$4.8M0.9%
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner$3.2M

Assistance by fiscal year

443.7MFY2021
469.6MFY2022
520.6MFY2023
512.2MFY2024
570.8MFY2025
532.3MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Somerset, PA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Somerset CountyCentral county6772,004

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SomersetPrincipal city5,944

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Pennsylvania

Areas based in Pennsylvania, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M43740

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Somerset, PA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Somerset, PA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Pennsylvania

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought