Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Elizabethtown is one of the best-graded places in America: an A, ranked 130th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Its public schools beat 83% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in cost of living. Elizabethtown is home to Elizabethtown College. Elizabethtown has 1 place on the National Register. Elizabethtown’s median age is 34.9 years, against 43.2 years in Pennsylvania’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns.
Where Elizabethtown beats most towns.
Kreider Shoe Manufacturing Company| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| East High Street El Sch | K–2 | 466 |
| Elizabethtown Area MS | 6–8 | 827 |
| Elizabethtown Area SHS | 9–12 | 1,263 |
Census counts: 700 in 1860, 11,639 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 6 maps from 1908 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Elizabethtown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elizabethtown. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
31 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
10 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
10 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World
10 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arena
22 mi Theme parkDutch WonderlandHersheypark: 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 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elizabethtown, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Elizabethtown.
Its public schools are run by Elizabethtown Area SD. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Elizabethtown Area SHS, with 1,263 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown Area MSLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 827 | C+ |
| Elizabethtown Area SHSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,263 | B− |
| East High Street El SchTop results in townGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 466 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
1.4 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Elizabethtown Borough Community Park, at 21 acres.
| Elizabethtown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Poplar Street Park | 0.3 mi | 10 |
| 2. Elizabethtown Borough Community Park | 0.1 mi | 21 |
| 3. Hickory Lane Park | 0.2 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Elizabethtown for work: only 7% work in town. Elizabethtown’s average trip to work is 22 minutes. The top destinations are West Donegal Township (9%), Derry Township (8%) and Lancaster (4%).
| Elizabethtown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Elizabethtown beats the Pennsylvania average on 10 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 21% of Elizabethtown adults binge drink.
| Elizabethtown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Elizabethtown | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11% | 14.5% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.4% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Elizabethtown home is worth about $365,000, up 4.5% in a year, 27% above the Pennsylvania typical home. 58% of households own their home in Elizabethtown.
| Elizabethtown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,174 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 18 to 34 are 32% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). Elizabethtown has grown 2.9% since 2020, to 11,961 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Elizabethtown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 29% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.9 points). Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 60% are men (PA 49%).
| Elizabethtown | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.6% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 19.8% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.6% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.4% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.1% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.4% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.6% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.1% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Pennsylvania has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Elizabethtown sits closer to the middle.
| Elizabethtown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.8 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Elizabethtown has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 22° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elizabethtown.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Elizabethtown
College town 18 of every 100 Elizabethtown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
9 notable people were born in Elizabethtown.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania German: Betzischteddel) is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Harrisburg, the state capital. Small factories existed at the turn of the 20th century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. As of the 2020 census, the population of the borough was 11,639. Elizabethtown is commonly referred to in south-central Pennsylvania as E-Town. This nickname is also used for the local college and high school.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Elizabethtown.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown | #130 | A | B− | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Mount Joy Township | #300 | A− | C+ | — | B+ | A− |
| West Donegal Township | #582 | B | D | — | A− | A− |
Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Elizabethtown with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Elizabethtown grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #130 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Pennsylvania has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Elizabethtown sits nearer the middle.
That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($86,959 across the Lancaster, PA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
9 notable people were born here, including Kenneth Brandt and Garret Pettis.
