Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 11,759.
Hamilton Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $286K for a typical one, or 3.7 years of the Chambersburg metro’s $77K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 587th of 1032 in Pennsylvania. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. The biggest place to walk is Buchanan State Forest, 742 acres with 3.2 miles of trail. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. Bridge between Guilford and Hamilton Townships is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Hamilton Township beats most towns.
Where Hamilton Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Hamilton Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 5 maps from 1902 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Hamilton Township, 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 Hamilton Township.
Hamilton Township sends most of its workers to Chambersburg and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Hamilton Township has 1,164 jobs for its 5,131 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Hamilton Township for work: only 5% work in town. 3.7% of Hamilton Township residents live below the poverty line, below both the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Hamilton Township has added 230 jobs, to 1,164 in 2023.
| Hamilton Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $100,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Chambersburg Area SD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Heights El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 553 | B− |
| Cumberland Valley Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 482 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hamilton Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Hamilton Township has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. At 87°F, Hamilton Township’s July high is against 85°F in Pennsylvania’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
8.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Hamilton Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buchanan State Forest | 3.2 mi | 742 |
| 2. Nitterhouse Park and Soccer Complex | 0.4 mi | 15 |
| 3. State Game Lands Number 235 | — | 214 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 8,622 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hamilton Township’s, it is less healthy than 63%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Hamilton Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 38% of Hamilton Township adults have obesity.
| Hamilton Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hamilton Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.3% | 5.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Pennsylvania average. Hamilton Township has grown 3.3% since 2020, to 11,759 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Hamilton Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.6 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 21% | 18% |
47% women, 53% men
About 111 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.7 points). Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Hamilton Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.7% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.1% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.6% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.2% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.4% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.4% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hamilton Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
35 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
28 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
31 mi National BattlefieldAntietam National Battlefield161K visitors a year
28 mi LandmarkGettysburg National Cemetery
26 mi National Military ParkGettysburg National Military Park730K visitors a yearRaven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Antietam National Battlefield: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain · Gettysburg National Military Park: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Hamilton Township
About 4 of every 100 Hamilton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
6 towns share a border with Hamilton Township.
It grades higher overall than all 5 graded towns on its borders; Letterkenny Township (B−) comes closest.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Township | #587 | B | B+ | — | C+ | B |
| St. Thomas Township | #825 | C+ | B | — | B− | C+ |
| Guilford Township | #785 | C+ | C | — | C+ | B |
| Chambersburg | #949 | C− | B− | C | C+ | C |
| Letterkenny Township | #739 | B− | B+ | — | C+ | C |
| Marion | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Greene Township | #748 | C+ | C+ | — | C+ | B |
Hamilton Township, St. Thomas Township, Guilford Township, Letterkenny Township and Greene Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Marion isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hamilton Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hamilton Township grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #587 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B for health and C+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the 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+.
