Sports bring Center Township together
Center Township is a community of about 12,000 people less than 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. This growing area has active new construction alongside already-built amenities like shopping centers, parks and two colleges. Lifelong resident and Realtor Nanci Rossi with the Nancy Rossi Team describes the community as tight-knit but welcoming to newcomers. “Center Township is extremely sports-oriented, so most people who move from other areas get involved in sports,” she says. “People get to be really good friends with each other because their children are very active. You make lasting relationships. I did. My kids played sports, and that’s where I made many friends, plus I have friends from when I was in school and played sports.” School sports games as well as indoor and outdoor sports complexes, a driving range and a private pool help keep this active community busy and connected.
Single-family homes and new construction
Ranch-style, bi-level and New Traditional homes are common here, typically selling for prices between $200,000 and $500,000. New construction is ongoing in the community, with construction at Maronda Homes’ Highland Meadows currently underway. Two- to six-bedroom single-family homes are available move-in ready or to build for $330,000 to $470,000. Homes in Center Township often sit on sprawling lawns on streets without sidewalks. Center Township has a 2 out of 10 CAP Index Crime Score, below the national average of 4. Rossi says the community’s relative safety sets it apart from surrounding communities. “We have a very strong police department, and people feel very safe,” she says.
Central Valley School District and two colleges
Central Valley School District gets an overall B-minus grade from Niche. Center Grange Primary School receives a B-minus, Todd Lane Elementary School gets a B, Central Valley Middle School receives a B-minus, and Central Valley High School gets a B. Todd Lane Elementary School has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a Title I School of Distinction, and Central Valley Middle School was recognized by the National Forum as a School to Watch four times. “Central Valley Warriors get involved in everything,” Rossi says. “It’s a very, very good place for sports if your kids are involved in sports.” Center Township is also home to Penn State Beaver and Community College of Beaver County.
Youth sports, golf and a private pool
Fred Taddeo Municipal Park features sports facilities for baseball, softball, tennis, basketball and sand volleyball. Center Township Recreation organizes seasonal events such as an Easter egg hunt, movies in the park and a father-daughter holiday formal. It also sponsors youth summer camps for tennis, basketball, volleyball and arts and crafts. Kids can try out sports through the township’s T-ball and flag football leagues and train as they get older at M7 Sports, an indoor sports facility. Ironwood Golf Center is a driving range offering adult and youth lessons. Center Lanes Bowling Alley offers youth leagues and birthday parties. Chapel Valley Pool is a private pool offering swim lessons and a swim team.
Shopping malls and local restaurants
Residents can access many shopping and dining options without leaving the community. Township Marketplace is home to major retailers like Target and Kohl’s, chain restaurants like Texas Roadhouse and Chipotle and a Cinemark movie theater. Beaver Valley Mall’s retail options include JCPenney and Boscov’s, and restaurants include Firehouse Subs and Arby’s. Walmart and ALDI are the township’s grocery options. Local dining highlights include Vesuvio’s, an Italian restaurant with a casual, cozy ambience, and New Sheffield Café, an American restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rossi recommends Jacksons for an upscale dinner or after-dinner drinks and Paradise Pub for something more casual. “We had a cracker plant move into the area, and a lot of those guys go there,” she says. Shell Polymers Monaca is a petrochemical complex and significant employer 3 miles west of Center Township. In July 2025, Shell CEO Wael Swan said he planned to sell the complex due to financial underperformance.
Proximity to Pittsburgh, Heritage Valley Beaver and the airport
Center Township is located in Beaver County, less than 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Interstate 376 runs along the western edge of the township, providing convenient access in and out of the community. Heritage Valley Beaver provides medical care 7 miles away. Pittsburgh International Airport is 17 miles away.
