RANK #638 / 996 · POP 128,417 · PA
PROJECTED GROWTH: +0.3%
Fayette County, Pennsylvania, is perhaps best known for being home to Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterpiece built over a waterfall in Mill Run. Located in southwestern Pennsylvania, adjacent to Maryland and West Virginia, the county seat is Uniontown. Commuting to Pittsburgh is possible via four-lane roads, though direct freeway connections are still in development. The region offers extensive outdoor recreation, with Ohiopyle State Park drawing over a million visitors annually for whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny River, hiking, and biking along the Great Allegheny Passage.
Life in Fayette County offers a blend of natural beauty and community focus. The area has six public school districts, including Uniontown Area School District and Connellsville Area School District, along with career training centers and Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. The economy, historically rooted in coal and coke production, is now diversifying, with a focus on tourism, healthcare, and manufacturing. The county is actively working on economic development initiatives, including an infrastructure bank and a comprehensive visioning process to attract new businesses and strengthen the local workforce.
Contracting economy
Well below national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Housing looks undervalued at 3.6x — home prices are low relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Proposed Utility-Scale Solar Farms (Multiple Projects)
Various Developers (e.g., Yarotek LLC, Prospect 14)
|
$50M | Proposed |
|
Fayette Energy Facility Acquisition
NRG Energy
|
$50M | Completed |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Fayette County has a Boom Town Index score of 36/100, ranking #638 among 996 U.S. counties. With job growth at +0.5% and a median household income of $55,579, it faces some economic headwinds compared to faster-growing counties.
The median home value in Fayette County is $121,800 with median rent at $754/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.4563, which is more affordable than the national average.
Population growth: -0.8% year-over-year. Job growth: +0.5%. Home values changed +0.0% in the past 12 months.