Hershey High School Home of the Hershey Chocolate Co Hershey Pa A, c. 1910
Hershey’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910.
- 1903Hershey is settled
HersheyPA
A town of 14,242, settled in 1903.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Bronayur at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
14,242
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$407K
+2.5% in a year
Household income
$79K
median
Median age
38.6
years
Jobs based here
28,919
A job hub
Is Hershey a good place to live?
27% of working residents work locally in Hershey, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (6.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Hershey’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Pennsylvania’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Hershey Gardens, 40 acres with 1.8 miles of trail. We don’t grade Hershey yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Hershey stand out
Where Hershey beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 27,455 people come to Hershey for work
Where Hershey’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
28,919jobs based in Hershey
27%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 68 attractions →Hersheypark and 35 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hershey. Close and well known come first.
in town Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
in town Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
in town MuseumHershey's Chocolate World
28 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
in town Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arenain town Zoo & aquariumZooAmericaSources: 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 · Hersheypark Stadium: 45BearsFan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hershey's Chocolate World: Phillyfan0419, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Hersheypark Arena: Hersheyarena4ever at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Hershey: who provides what
Hershey is unincorporated, so Dauphin County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPa Amer Water CoNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDauphin CountyDauphin 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 hereDauphin County Board of ElectionsDauphin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2022
ZIP codes17033, 1703617033 89% · 17036 10%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 Hershey.
Work & commute
Compared with most of Pennsylvania and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in Hershey is shorter
Hershey’s average trip to work is 16 minutes. Jobs based in Hershey grew to 28,919 in 2023, 9,016 more than in 2013. 18% of Hershey residents live below the poverty line.
27%work in town
| Hershey | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Hershey27%
Derry Township36%
Harrisburg6%
Lower Paxton Township4%
Swatara Township3%
10 mi
median commute distance
28,919
jobs based in Hershey
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Hershey
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 34 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hershey.
14risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
34
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Hershey’s typical home value is about $407K
The typical Hershey home is worth about $407,000, up 2.5% in a year, 42% above the Pennsylvania typical home. 54% of households own their home in Hershey.
$407KZillow home value
| Hershey | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,268 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Hershey$407K
Pennsylvania$287K
Market temperature
10
days on market
99.5%
sale-to-list price
+2.5%
value change, 1 year
18
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Hershey, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Hershey 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
Winter24–41°
Spring41–62°
Summer63–83°
Fall45–65°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Hershey is
Hershey beats the Pennsylvania average on 11 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Hershey | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
11 better15 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Hershey | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 11.2% | 15.8% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.7% | 14.5% |
Milton S Hershey Medical Center
0.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1%conserved
1%
conserved · 94 of 9,174 acres
25 mi
of trails · 1.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hershey Gardens | 1.8 mi | 40 |
| 2. Alumni Memorial Grove Park | 0.9 mi | 21 |
| 3. Founder's Park | 0.2 mi | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hershey
17pages on Hershey
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Hershey
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgUniversity or college · Public · Middletown7.3 mi$15,972 in-state tuitionLebanon Valley CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Annville7.7 mi$52,080 tuitionHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrisburg12.8 mi$6,975 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Hershey residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Famous people from Hershey
25 notable people were born in Hershey.
About Hershey
Unincorporated community in the United States
Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to the Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey, and Hersheypark, an amusement park. The community is located 14 miles (23 km) east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality, and all its municipal services are provided by Derry Township. The population was 13,858 at the 2020 census. Hershey is also located 68.8 miles (110.7 km) north of Baltimore, Maryland, 75.2 miles (121.0 km) southwest of Allentown and 94.5 miles (152.1 km) northwest …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1903
- Area
- 14 sq mi
- Elevation
- 411 ft
- ZIP code
- 17033
- Area code
- 717
Hershey’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Hershey.
Derry TownshipPalmdaleEast Hanover TownshipSouth Hanover TownshipHershey
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hershey | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Derry Township | #265 | A | C− | B | A | A |
| Palmdale | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| East Hanover Township | #417 | B+ | C+ | — | B+ | A− |
| South Hanover Township | #438 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A |
East Hanover Township and South Hanover Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Hershey and Palmdale aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hershey with a neighbor →
Questions about Hershey
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hershey, PA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Hershey yet; the figures below are still real.
What is Hershey, PA known for?
25 notable people were born here, including Christian Pulisic and Steven Pasquale.