Somerset, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Somerset, Pennsylvania
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Somerset County Courthouse
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Location of Somerset in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
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 Somerset, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Somerset, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Somerset |
| Settled | 1795 |
| Incorporated | 5 March 1804 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.73 sq mi (7.07 km2) |
| • Land | 2.73 sq mi (7.07 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,190 ft (670 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,046  |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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5,992 |
| • Density | 2,145.47/sq mi (828.52/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip Code |
15501
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| Area code(s) | 814 |
| FIPS code | 42-71776 |
| Website | http://www.somersetborough.com |
Somerset (pronounced SUM-er-set) is a town, also known as a borough, in Pennsylvania, USA. It is the main town of Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In 2020, about 6,046 people lived there.
Somerset is surrounded by Somerset Township. It is easy to reach from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which includes parts of I-70 and I-76. Somerset is an important town in its region.
Contents
History of Somerset
Somerset played a big role in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. This was a time when some people in western Pennsylvania protested a tax on whiskey. Several leaders of this protest, like Harmon Husband, lived in Somerset. The government sent a special army to stop the rebellion, and their headquarters were in the nearby town of Berlin.
A large fire happened in Somerset on May 9, 1872. It destroyed a big part of the town in just a few hours.
In July 2002, a dramatic event happened near Somerset. Nine miners were trapped for 77 hours in the Quecreek coal mine after it flooded. They were stuck about 240 feet (73 meters) underground. Amazingly, all nine miners were rescued! The Quecreek Mine Rescue story was shared by journalists all over the world and was even shown on TV globally.
Did you know there's a place on Mars named after Somerset? A crater on Mars was named Somerset Crater in 2006.
Two important places in Somerset are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the Somerset County Courthouse and the Uptown Somerset Historic District.
Geography and Location
Somerset is located at 40 degrees North latitude and 79 degrees West longitude. It is near Pennsylvania's southern border.
The United States Census Bureau says that Somerset covers about 2.7 square miles (7.0 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the borough.
Somerset is one of the highest towns in Pennsylvania. It is about 2,190 feet (668 meters) above sea level. Somerset County is part of a mountain region called Appalachia.
Somerset's Climate
Somerset has a humid continental climate. Because it is so high up, it can be colder in winter than other nearby cities like Altoona or Johnstown. Its weather is quite similar to places in northern Pennsylvania.
Somerset holds the record for the lowest temperatures in June and November for the entire state of Pennsylvania. It is also the only place in Pennsylvania to have snow pile up in June. This happened on June 10, 1913, when three inches of powdery snow fell! People even took photos of it being swept off porches.
| Climate data for Somerset, Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
76 (24) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
93 (34) |
99 (37) |
100 (38) |
103 (39) |
98 (37) |
92 (33) |
80 (27) |
77 (25) |
103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31 (−1) |
34 (1) |
43 (6) |
54 (12) |
63 (17) |
70 (21) |
74 (23) |
73 (23) |
67 (19) |
57 (14) |
46 (8) |
34 (1) |
54 (12) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14 (−10) |
15 (−9) |
22 (−6) |
32 (0) |
41 (5) |
51 (11) |
56 (13) |
54 (12) |
47 (8) |
37 (3) |
29 (−2) |
20 (−7) |
35 (2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) |
−29 (−34) |
−20 (−29) |
−3 (−19) |
16 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
33 (1) |
29 (−2) |
22 (−6) |
9 (−13) |
−15 (−26) |
−25 (−32) |
−33 (−36) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.23 (82) |
2.87 (73) |
3.92 (100) |
3.98 (101) |
4.18 (106) |
4.14 (105) |
3.93 (100) |
3.78 (96) |
3.42 (87) |
2.71 (69) |
3.15 (80) |
3.07 (78) |
43.07 (1,094) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 26.8 (68) |
21.2 (54) |
14.2 (36) |
3.5 (8.9) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.1 (2.8) |
5.5 (14) |
20.1 (51) |
92.9 (236) |
| Source: PA State Climatologist | |||||||||||||
Population of Somerset
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 280 | — | |
| 1810 | 489 | 74.6% | |
| 1820 | 442 | −9.6% | |
| 1830 | 649 | 46.8% | |
| 1840 | 638 | −1.7% | |
| 1850 | 866 | 35.7% | |
| 1860 | 1,001 | 15.6% | |
| 1870 | 945 | −5.6% | |
| 1880 | 1,197 | 26.7% | |
| 1890 | 1,713 | 43.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,834 | 7.1% | |
| 1910 | 2,612 | 42.4% | |
| 1920 | 3,121 | 19.5% | |
| 1930 | 4,395 | 40.8% | |
| 1940 | 5,430 | 23.5% | |
| 1950 | 5,936 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 6,347 | 6.9% | |
| 1970 | 6,269 | −1.2% | |
| 1980 | 6,474 | 3.3% | |
| 1990 | 6,454 | −0.3% | |
| 2000 | 6,762 | 4.8% | |
| 2010 | 6,277 | −7.2% | |
| 2020 | 6,046 | −3.7% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 5,992 | −4.5% | |
| Sources: | |||
In 2000, there were 6,762 people living in Somerset. There were 3,035 households and 1,717 families. The population density was about 2,466 people per square mile (952 people per square kilometer).
Most of the people in Somerset are White (97.80%). There are also smaller groups of African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 0.55% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average household had about 2.12 people, and the average family had about 2.82 people. About 26.4% of households had children under 18 living with them.
The median age in the borough was 40 years old. This means half the people were older than 40 and half were younger. About 21.9% of the population was under 18.
The median income for a household in Somerset was $29,050. The median income for a family was $41,831. About 11.6% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 15.7% of those under 18.
Economy and Jobs
Somerset is home to Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare. This company makes medical equipment like oxygen concentrators. Their factory in Somerset is very large, covering 152,000 square feet (about 14,121 square meters).
Education in Somerset
The schools in Somerset are part of the Somerset Area School District.
There are also three private schools:
- St. Peter School (for grades Kindergarten to 8th grade)
- Apostolic Christian Academy (for grades Kindergarten to 12th grade)
- Somerset Christian School (for Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade), located at the Somerset Alliance Church.
Local Media
People in Somerset get their local news and TV from two main areas: Johnstown and Pittsburgh. The local newspaper for the city and county is called the Daily American.
Famous People from Somerset
Many notable people have come from Somerset, including:
- Jeremiah S. Black: He was a very important lawyer and politician. He served as the Attorney General of the United States from 1857 to 1860 and as the U.S. Secretary of State from 1860 to 1861.
- Jacob M. Campbell: He was a U.S. Congressman from 1881 to 1887 and an officer during the Civil War.
- George Chorpenning: A pioneer in transportation.
- Charles H. Ealy: He was the president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate from 1941 to 1944.
- Chauncey Forward: A U.S. Congressman.
- Alexander Ogle: A U.S. Congressman.
- Charles Ogle: A Whig congressman and a great speaker.
- Alexander Coffroth: A U.S. Congressman during the Civil War.
- Edward Scull: A U.S. Congressman.
- Pete Zorn: A musician who played in Richard Thompson's band.
- Keith Malley: The co-host of a popular podcast called Keith and the Girl.
Images for kids
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Easter Sunset From The Diamond
See also
In Spanish: Somerset (Pensilvania) para niños
