Conestoga PA Hess House 1811, 2020
Conestoga Township’s story
199 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 6 maps from 1912 on.
- 1827Conestoga Township is settled
Conestoga TownshipPA
A town of 3,916, settled in 1827.
Population
3,916
2025 Census estimate · +0.3% since 2020
Median home value
$300K
Census ACS
Household income
$93K
median
Median age
50.0
years
Jobs based here
381
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#193 of 1032 in PA
Is Conestoga Township a good place to live?
Conestoga Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $300K for a typical one, or 3.4 years of the Lancaster metro’s $87K median household income. It grades A overall, 193rd among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. On the plus side, its public schools beat 83% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. 26% of the land in Conestoga Township is conserved, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve, at 86 acres. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 69% of U.S. towns.
What makes Conestoga Township stand out
Where Conestoga Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Conestoga Township for work
Where Conestoga Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
381jobs based in Conestoga Township
5%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Conestoga Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Conestoga Township is from typical.
SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & income$93K median household incomeA−Open →HealthLancaster General Hospital 8.3 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 2.7% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trailsAOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life4.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Conestoga Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Conestoga Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterConestoga Mobile Home ParkNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Conestoga Township’s trash rules yet
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 codes17516, 17551, 17565, 1760317516 83% · 17551 8% · 17565 5% · 17603 4%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 Conestoga Township.
Conestoga Township pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and sends most of its workers to Lancaster and beyond.
SchoolsA−
Conestoga Township’s grade for schools is an A−
Its A− for schools comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $300K.
Its public schools are run by Penn Manor SD. Its one school is below.
83%of PA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conestoga El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 301 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA
Conestoga Township has set aside nearly a quarter of its land for conservation
6.7 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
#480for trails in PA
25.6%
conserved · 2,698 of 10,550 acres
6.7 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Safe Harbor Park | 1 mi | 72 |
| 2. Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve | 0.6 mi | 86 |
| 3. Pequea Nature Preserve | — | 83 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most working residents commute out of Conestoga Township
Conestoga Township has 381 jobs for its 1,797 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Conestoga Township for work: only 5% work in town. At 31 minutes, Conestoga Township’s average trip to work is above both the Pennsylvania town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Conestoga Township grew to 381 in 2023, 93 more than in 2013.
5%work in town
| Conestoga Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Conestoga Township5%
Lancaster13%
East Hempfield Township6%
West Lampeter Township6%
Manheim Township6%
10 mi
median commute distance
381
jobs based in Conestoga Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Conestoga Township is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Conestoga Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 19% of Conestoga Township adults binge drink.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Conestoga Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
2 better24 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Conestoga Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| Fewer adults in fair or poor health | 16.3% | 18.7% |
Lancaster General Hospital
8.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
69th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Conestoga Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Conestoga Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
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
Who lives here
An age mix much like Pennsylvania’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Pennsylvania average. Conestoga Township’s median age is 50 years. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
50median age · PA 40.9
| Conestoga Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 21% | 18% |
Conestoga TownshipPennsylvaniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school52%
Some college9%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.4 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Conestoga Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.4% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.8% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.1% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 51.6% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 8.6% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.2% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.2% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,900, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Conestoga Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 55 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Conestoga Township.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
55
paid flood claims since 1978
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B+
The median home in Conestoga Township sells for about $557K
92% of households own their home in Conestoga Township.
$557Kmedian sale price
| Conestoga Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 92% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $930 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 146 attractions →Hersheypark and 43 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Conestoga Township. Close and well known come first.
29 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
10 mi Theme parkDutch Wonderland
37 mi GardenLongwood Gardens
11 mi MuseumRailroad Museum of Pennsylvania
29 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
29 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate WorldSources: 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 · Hersheypark Stadium: 45BearsFan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hershey's Chocolate World: Phillyfan0419, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Conestoga Township
18pages on Conestoga Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of Conestoga Township
Millersville University of PennsylvaniaUniversity or college · Public · Millersville4.6 mi$11,128 in-state tuitionLancaster County Career and Technology CenterCommunity college · Public · Willow Street6.1 miPennsylvania College of Art and DesignUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lancaster7.9 mi$32,150 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Conestoga Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Conestoga Township
Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US
Conestoga (Pennsylvania German: Kanneschtooge) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,163. The Conestoga post office serves ZIP code 17516.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 502 ft
- ZIP code
- 17516
Conestoga Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Conestoga Township.
It grades higher overall than all 5 graded towns on its borders; Manor Township (A−) comes closest.
Martic TownshipManor TownshipPequea TownshipChanceford TownshipLower Chanceford TownshipConestoga Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conestoga Township | #193 | A | B+ | — | A− | B+ |
| Martic Township | #455 | B+ | B− | — | A− | B− |
| Manor Township | #309 | A− | C | A | A− | B |
| Pequea Township | #416 | B+ | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Chanceford Township | #728 | B− | B− | — | C | B+ |
| Lower Chanceford Township | #822 | C+ | C+ | — | C | B |
Conestoga Township, Martic Township, Pequea Township, Chanceford Township and Lower Chanceford Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Conestoga Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Conestoga Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Conestoga Township, PA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Conestoga Township grades A overall, better than 90% of U.S. towns and #193 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools.
Is Conestoga Township, PA expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $300,000, 4% above the Pennsylvania typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.