2007 09 18 - Blue Ball - US 322 at SR 23 a, 2007
Blue Ball’s story
193 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
- 1833Blue Ball is settled
Blue BallPA
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Andrew Bossi · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
1,284
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$248K
Census ACS
Household income
$99K
median
Median age
32.4
years
Jobs based here
908
A job hub
Is Blue Ball a good place to live?
49% of households live in a home they own in Blue Ball, below both the Pennsylvania town median (78%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). We don’t grade Blue Ball yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Blue Ball stand out
Where Blue Ball beats most towns.
Small town
1,284 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
East Earl TownshipEarl TownshipBlue Ball
Nearby attractions
All 217 attractions →Hersheypark and 69 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Blue Ball. Close and well known come first.
34 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
26 mi GardenLongwood Gardens
10 mi Theme parkDutch Wonderland
9 mi MuseumEphrata Cloister
32 mi MuseumWinterthur Museum, Garden and Library
11 mi MuseumRailroad Museum of PennsylvaniaSources: 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 · Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania: Dough4872, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Blue Ball: who provides what
Blue Ball is unincorporated, so Lancaster County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWeaverland Valley Blue Ball water systemNo health-based violations 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 codes17519, 17506, 1755717519 63% · 17506 23% · 17557 14%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 Blue Ball.
Work & commute
A job hub: Blue Ball has 1.8 jobs for every working resident and draws in 883 commuters
Commuting out is the norm in Blue Ball: 5% of working residents work locally. The town had 908 jobs in 2023, up 268 from 2013. Its typical journey to work comes in at 21 minutes. The top destinations are East Earl Township (15%), Earl Township (8%) and New Holland (8%).
5%work in town
| Blue Ball | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.5% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.9% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Blue Ball5%
East Earl Township15%
Earl Township8%
New Holland8%
Upper Leacock Township4%
9 mi
median commute distance
908
jobs based in Blue Ball
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very low risk in Blue Ball, mostly inland flooding
FEMA puts 57% of Blue Ball’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 18% to hurricanes. Its natural-hazard score from FEMA comes in at 16 of 100. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities.
16risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Blue Ball
The range runs from 22° on a January night to 85° on a July afternoon, with about 34 inches of snow a winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–83°
Fall45–65°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Fewer of Blue Ball’s adults had a checkup this year than in the typical Pennsylvania or U.S. town
37% of Blue Ball adults have obesity. Against the Pennsylvania average, Blue Ball comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 7.
| Blue Ball | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 79% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
2 better17 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Blue Ball | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.4% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.6% | 8.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.9% | 5.8% |
Wellspan Ephrata Community Hospital
8.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blue Ball
16pages on Blue Ball
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Blue Ball
Saint Joseph's University - LancasterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lancaster10.7 mi$32,933 tuitionLancaster Bible CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lancaster12.5 mi$29,990 tuitionThaddeus Stevens College of TechnologyCommunity college · Public · Lancaster13.3 mi$9,050 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Blue Ball residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A job hub
Every workday, about 883 people come to Blue Ball for work
Where Blue Ball’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
908jobs based in Blue Ball
5%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Blue Ball
Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US
Blue Ball is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. Blue Ball lies approximately 2 miles (3 km) east-northeast of the borough of New Holland at the intersection of US 322 and PA Route 23. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,095.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 17506
Questions about Blue Ball
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blue Ball, PA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Blue Ball yet; the figures below are still real.