Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yes, by almost any measure. Mount Joy earns an A+, 93rd of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. It reports less crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, the median household earns $90K, and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 81% of the country. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in cost of living. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 90% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. Mount Joy's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns. 63% of households own their home in Mount Joy, below both the Pennsylvania town median (78%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
Where Mount Joy beats most towns.
7,410 counted in 2010 and 8,325 in 2020; an estimated 8,319 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 12.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Mount Joy is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,729 in 1860, 8,325 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1908 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mount Joy. Close and well known come first.
15 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
36 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
15 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
15 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World
16 mi Theme parkDutch Wonderland
15 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark ArenaHersheypark: 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 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hersheypark Arena: Hersheyarena4ever at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mount Joy, 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 Mount Joy.
Mount Joy has less tooth loss than most of Pennsylvania and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
Reported crimes fell from 43 to 20 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Mount Joy’s property crime rate is 2.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Mount Joy | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Janus School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 1–12 | Grades 1–12 | 74 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Pennsylvania is tooth loss: 8.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide.
11% of Mount Joy adults report frequent physical distress. Mount Joy beats the Pennsylvania average on 10 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of Mount Joy adults binge drink.
| Mount Joy | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Mount Joy | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.6% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 6.1% | 7.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.7% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Mount Joy 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.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Mount Joy for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Mount Joy grew to 3,254 in 2023, 271 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Lancaster (7%), East Hempfield Township (7%) and Manheim Township (6%).
| Mount Joy | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 9.7% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Little Chiques Park | — | 12 |
| 2. Grandview Park | — | 11 |
| 3. Mount Joy Borough Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Pennsylvania average. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Mount Joy | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 21% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.7 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Mount Joy | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.5% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.8% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.6% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.4% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.7% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mount Joy.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9 within 15 miles of the center of Mount Joy
About 4 of every 100 Mount Joy residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
3 places in Mount Joy on the National Register of Historic Places.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Mount Joy is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,346 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 8,323 in 2021.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Mount Joy.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Joy | #93 | A+ | B− | A | B | A− |
| Rapho Township | #590 | B | C | — | B | B+ |
| East Donegal Township | #616 | B | C | — | B | B+ |
| Mount Joy Township | #300 | A− | C+ | — | B+ | A− |
Rapho Township, East Donegal Township and Mount Joy Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Mount Joy with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Mount Joy grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #93 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades A− for health, A for safety and B for schools.
The typical home is worth about $267,000, 7% below 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−.
