REAR AND SIDE ELEVATIONS - Barn, State Route 340, Bird in Hand, Lancaster County, PA, 1933
Bird-in-Hand’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1933.
- 1873Bird-in-Hand is settled
Bird-in-HandPA
A regional job hub with 340 jobs. With 537 residents, this town was settled in 1873.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Is Bird-in-Hand a good place to live?
Only 6 of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Bird-in-Hand. Bird-in-Hand has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Bird-in-Hand stand out
Where Bird-in-Hand beats most towns.
Small town
537 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
SmoketownRonksBird-in-Hand
Getting set up
Moving to Bird-in-Hand: who provides what
Bird-in-Hand is unincorporated, so Lancaster County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Lancaster water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLancaster CountyLancaster County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLancaster County Board of ElectionsLancaster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2025
ZIP codes17505, 1757217505 93% · 17572 7%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bird-in-Hand.
Work & commute
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Bird-in-Hand than in most of Pennsylvania or the rest of the country
13% of Bird-in-Hand residents live below the poverty line, against 7.6% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are East Lampeter Township (14%), Manheim Township (10%) and Lancaster (8%). Half commute less than 9 miles.
1%work in town
| Bird-in-Hand | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bird-in-Hand1%
East Lampeter Township14%
Manheim Township10%
Lancaster8%
Leacock Township8%
9 mi
median commute distance
340
jobs based in Bird-in-Hand
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Bird-in-Hand
A winter brings about 21 inches of snow, with January nights at 22° and July afternoons at 86°.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–42°
Spring41–63°
Summer63–84°
Fall45–66°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Low risk in Bird-in-Hand, with inland flooding at the top
Compared with 66% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Bird-in-Hand is lower. Expected losses in Bird-in-Hand break down as 64% from inland flooding and 14% from hurricanes.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Bird-in-Hand is
Bird-in-Hand: 17% of adults binge drink. 25% of Bird-in-Hand adults have been diagnosed with depression, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 24% and U.S. towns at 23%.
| Bird-in-Hand | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 80% | 79% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better22 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Bird-in-Hand | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.4% | 5.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 36% | 30.4% |
Lancaster General Hospital
6.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Bird-in-Hand sells for about $330K at the median
The share of households in Bird-in-Hand who live in a home they own: 43%.
$330Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 253 attractions →Hersheypark and 60 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bird-in-Hand. Close and well known come first.
30 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
2 mi Theme parkDutch Wonderland
30 mi GardenLongwood Gardens
4 mi MuseumRailroad Museum of Pennsylvania
10 mi MuseumEphrata Cloister
35 mi MuseumWinterthur Museum, Garden and LibrarySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Hersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania: Dough4872, Public domain · Ephrata Cloister: 1549bcp at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bird-in-Hand
16pages on Bird-in-Hand
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of Bird-in-Hand
Saint Joseph's University - LancasterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lancaster3.5 mi$32,933 tuitionThaddeus Stevens College of TechnologyCommunity college · Public · Lancaster5.2 mi$9,050 in-state tuitionMillersville University of PennsylvaniaUniversity or college · Public · Millersville9.2 mi$11,128 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Bird-in-Hand residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A job hub
Every workday, about 338 people come to Bird-in-Hand for work
Where Bird-in-Hand’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
340jobs based in Bird-in-Hand
1%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bird-in-Hand
Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US
Bird-in-Hand is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, in East Lampeter Township. The "Bird in Hand" ZIP code extends east from the CDP into Leacock and Upper Leacock townships. The community has a large Amish and Mennonite population. As of the 2010 census, the population within the CDP was 402.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 364 ft
- ZIP code
- 17505
Questions about Bird-in-Hand
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bird-in-Hand, PA a good place to live?
Bird-in-Hand has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.