Pennsylvania Zombie Survival Index: 80/100

Personal assessment

Your state has a score. Do you?

Take the readiness assessment and get your own Zombie Survival Index score!

The three tests

Pennsylvania scored three times

A state that handles shamblers can get erased by sprinters. Here is how Pennsylvania performs under each outbreak model.

Walking DeadThe Walking Dead

86

Slow zombies reward distance, terrain, food and freshwater. Pennsylvania has about 13,059,432 people and 7.1 million acres in farm operations, plus 1.40 million cattle and calves, 244.5 million meat chickens and 9.737 billion pounds of milk. Against walkers there is time to convert all of that into a defensible long-term system.

World War ZWorld War Z

68

Fast zombies turn evacuation into a race against the road network, and 68 is the lowest fast-scenario score on the board so far. Thirteen million people, the I-95 corridor at one end, Pittsburgh's river-and-bridge geography at the other, and a dense eastern population in between.

Last of UsThe Last of Us

86

Yes, we know they're not technically zombies. This asks whether a settlement can still work after modern supply chains stop, and Pennsylvania is genuinely excellent at it. Elite freshwater, elite energy, and a dairy and poultry base deep enough to feed a rebuilt society.

What helps

Appalachian ridges, plateaus, forests, river valleys and broad agricultural areas
Susquehanna, Delaware, Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio river systems plus reservoirs and groundwater
7.1 million acres in farm operations
1.40 million cattle and calves
244.5 million meat chickens and 9.737 billion pounds of milk in 2025 plus corn, hay, soybean and vegetable production
One of the country's strongest energy states, with natural gas, nuclear, coal and hydro resources
Letterkenny Army Depot, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Carlisle Barracks, Fort Indiantown Gap and Pennsylvania National Guard forces

What hurts

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh corridors plus dense eastern population
Flooding, winter storms, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, heat and localised wildfire
Remote safety can mean thinner medicine and longer repair distances
Main corridors become population funnels after late evacuation

Avoid Philadelphia and the I-95 corridor early, then move toward north-central or Appalachian farm-and-forest country with freshwater, local energy and multiple back-road options.

Personal assessment

Your state has a score. Do you?

Take the readiness assessment and get your own Zombie Survival Index score!

Get my free ZSI score

The reason for the score

Pennsylvania's zombie superpowers

Appalachian ridges, plateaus, forests, river valleys and broad agricultural areas determine movement, observation, evacuation and settlement options. The best refuge needs terrain plus water plus food plus energy plus access.

1 · Appalachian terrain

Pennsylvania gets mountains, forests and ridges without giving up a huge agricultural base, which is a rare combination this far east.

2 · Food

Dairy, poultry, corn, hay and soy provide deep long-term food capacity — nearly ten billion pounds of milk alone.

3 · Energy

Natural gas, nuclear and coal give the state unusual energy depth, scoring a perfect 10 on production capacity.

4 · Freshwater

Major river systems and groundwater are strong across much of the state.

The catch

Philadelphia is the complication

Philadelphia corridor

The I-95 region creates one of the state's biggest fast-outbreak risks and there is no clean way around it.

Pittsburgh river geography

Rivers help defence and simultaneously create bridge dependency at the western end of the state.

Flooding

Some of the best valleys are also the flood-prone ones.

The framework

25 survival factors, scored 1–10

Every state is measured on the same 25 factors. Weighting shifts by scenario — terrain matters more against sprinters, agriculture matters more in a long collapse.

01 Population density Moderate statewide density 6/10

02 Major city exposure Philadelphia and Pittsburgh create major exposure 4/10

03 Road escape capacity Strong road network, though some mountain corridors narrow 8/10

04 Freshwater availability Major rivers and groundwater are strong 10/10

05 Agricultural capacity 7.1 million farm acres 9/10

06 Food self-sufficiency Strong dairy, poultry, grain and vegetable production 10/10

07 Wilderness & remote land Large forested plateau regions 8/10

08 Natural defensive terrain Appalachian ridges are excellent terrain 9/10

09 Climate survivability Generally survivable climate 8/10

10 Winter zombie suppression Useful winter suppression 8/10

11 Natural disaster risk Flooding and winter storms are significant 6/10

12 Energy production Elite natural-gas, nuclear and coal energy base 10/10

13 Off-grid energy potential Good solar, biomass and local generation potential 8/10

14 Medical resources Excellent medical capacity 10/10

15 Military & Guard presence Major depots, Guard and federal assets 8/10

16 Emergency management Strong statewide emergency-management capability 9/10

17 Supply & logistics Elite East Coast freight and logistics position 10/10

18 Infrastructure vulnerability Dense regional systems create vulnerability 6/10

19 Survival resource availability Food, water, timber, fuel and wildlife are strong 10/10

20 Evacuation & refuge potential Excellent rural refuge potential 8/10

21 Natural barriers & water access Rivers and ridges create barriers 9/10

22 Distance from population centers Large central and northern areas far from metros 7/10

23 Chokepoint & bridge dependency River crossings and corridor bottlenecks matter 7/10

24 Hunting, fishing & foraging Excellent hunting and fishing 9/10

25 Long-term settlement potential Very strong long-term settlement potential 9/10

Tactics

What works, by scenario

Strategy	Walking Dead	World War Z	Last of Us
Rural farm or ranch with independent water	Excellent	Very good if reached early	Excellent
Small agricultural town	Very good	Good	Excellent
Remote site with no food system	Good early	Very good for isolation	Poor long-term
Major highway evacuation	Good early, bad late	Terrible late	Poor after collapse
Major metro shelter	Poor	Terrible	Poor
Distributed renewable power	Very good	Good	Excellent
Hunting and fishing supplement	Very good	Good	Very good
One-road refuge	Risky	Risky	Risky

Geography

Where to be

Best overall

North-central Appalachian plateau

Forests, ridges, water and lower density create the strongest balance in the state.

Deep forest and ridgelines
Susquehanna headwaters nearby
Local gas and wood heat
Back roads in several directions

Runner-up

Rural central Pennsylvania

Excellent agriculture and water with manageable terrain.

Third

Northern Tier

Low density and forests, with thinner medical and logistics access.

Where not to be

Avoid early

Philadelphia / I-95 corridor

Population and regional spillover are the problem, and it is a large one.

Avoid early

Pittsburgh river crossings

Bridges become strategic chokepoints the moment everyone needs them.

Avoid

Major floodplain refuge

River access is useful until the river owns the road.

Verdict

80 out of 100 · Grade B− · Rank #29

Pennsylvania is one of the more balanced zombie-survival states. It has productive farms, forests, mountains, rivers, freshwater, dairy, energy resources, strong hospitals, and many smaller towns capable of supporting organized communities. The catch is heavy population pressure around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, dense interstate corridors, aging bridges and infrastructure, flooding, winter weather, and limited room to maneuver in the southeast. Central and northern Pennsylvania offer the strongest refuge options.

Walking Dead 86. World War Z 68. Last of Us 86.

Avoid Philadelphia and the I-95 corridor early, then move toward north-central or Appalachian farm-and-forest country with freshwater, local energy and multiple back-road options.

See the national survey board

Method & sources

Where the numbers come from

The Zombie Survival Index is a fictional entertainment ranking that uses real public data as its inputs. Every state is scored on the same 25 factors under three outbreak models, and the overall number blends those results. All fifty states have been assessed and normalised against the same national scoring set.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Population Estimates and QuickFacts
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2025 State Agriculture Overview
U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Electricity Profile
State water-resource and environmental agencies
State emergency-management agencies
U.S. Department of Defense and National Guard installation sources
State wildlife, hunting and fishing agencies
NOAA and state climatology and hazard sources