Freedom Bible, 2013
Dauphin’s story
261 years in pictures
Census counts: 650 in 1850, 795 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 8 maps from 1892 on.
- 1765Dauphin is settled
DauphinPA
Population
790
2025 Census estimate · −0.4% since 2020
Typical home
$300K
+3.5% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
33.8
years
Jobs based here
39
A commuter town
Is Dauphin a good place to live?
56% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Dauphin, against 29% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Dauphin. 14% of the land in Dauphin is conserved, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Dauphin Middle Paxton Park, at 33 acres. Dauphin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Dauphin stand out
Where Dauphin beats most towns.
Small town
790 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 63 attractions →Hersheypark and 27 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dauphin. Close and well known come first.
15 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
17 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
15 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
15 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World
16 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arena
8 mi Stadium & arenaFNB FieldSources: 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 · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Hersheypark Stadium: 45BearsFan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hershey's Chocolate World: Phillyfan0419, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hersheypark Arena: Hersheyarena4ever at English Wikipedia, Public domain · FNB Field: Whammies Were Here, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dauphin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dauphin, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVeolia WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dauphin’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 hereDauphin County Board of ElectionsDauphin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2022
ZIP code1701817018 100%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 Dauphin.
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Dauphin’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Dauphin for work: only 1% work in town. Dauphin’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Harrisburg (15%), Susquehanna Township (8%) and Derry Township (6%).
1%work in town
| Dauphin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 17% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Dauphin1%
Harrisburg15%
Susquehanna Township8%
Derry Township6%
Lower Paxton Township5%
11 mi
median commute distance
39
jobs based in Dauphin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Dauphin
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 65 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dauphin.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
65
paid flood claims since 1978
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Dauphin has four seasons and pleasant summers
Dauphin has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–40°
Spring41–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall45–65°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
13.9% of Dauphin is conserved land
0.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Dauphin is 1.0 miles per square mile.
13.9%conserved
13.9%
conserved · 38 of 276 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dauphin Middle Paxton Park | 0.3 mi | 33 |
| 2. State Game Lands Number 211 | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Dauphin is
Dauphin beats the Pennsylvania average on 12 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 11% of Dauphin adults report frequent physical distress.
| Dauphin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 24% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
12 better14 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Dauphin | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.1% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults in fair or poor health | 13.6% | 18.7% |
Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
6.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Dauphin’s typical home value is about $300K
The typical Dauphin home is worth about $300,000, up 3.5% in a year, close to the Pennsylvania typical home.
$300KZillow home value
| Dauphin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,136 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dauphin$300K
Pennsylvania$287K
+3.5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dauphin
17pages on Dauphin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Dauphin
Central Penn CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Summerdale4.4 mi$19,854 tuitionHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrisburg5.5 mi$6,975 in-state tuitionHarrisburg University of Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Harrisburg7.8 mi$24,400 tuition
About 7 of every 100 Dauphin residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Dauphin for work
Where Dauphin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
39jobs based in Dauphin
1%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Dauphin
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Dauphin is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 796 at the 2020 census. Dauphin's ZIP code is 17018. It is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1765
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 427 ft
- ZIP code
- 17018
Questions about Dauphin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dauphin, PA a good place to live?
Dauphin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.