Pennsylvania›Dauphin County

OberlinPA

A town of 269, settled in 1883.

Population

269

Census survey, 2020–24

Is Oberlin a good place to live?

Oberlin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

269 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Swatara Township · 1 mi Steelton · 1 mi Paxtang · 2 mi Highspire · 3 mi Penbrook · 3 mi Lower Swatara Township · 3 mi

EnhautBresslerOberlin

Institutional structures by Gilbert.] [Sketches, 1912

Oberlin’s story

143 years in pictures

The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 7 maps from 1906 on.

1883Oberlin is settled

Explore the history →

Nearby attractions

Hersheypark and 37 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oberlin. Close and well known come first.

All 62 attractions →

9 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year

19 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument

9 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium

9 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World

9 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arena

37 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield

Sources: 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 · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to Oberlin: who provides what

Oberlin is unincorporated, so Dauphin County and regional agencies provide most services.

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 & county servicesDauphin CountyDauphin County provides services here

SchoolsCentral Dauphin School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereDauphin County Board of ElectionsDauphin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2022

ZIP code1711317113 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 Oberlin.

Natural hazards

Top of a very low hazard risk in Oberlin: inland flooding

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 58% of Oberlin’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 10% to hurricanes.

15risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes

Full pageOberlin’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters18 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready2 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Oberlin’s workers commute out

Employers in Oberlin shed 22 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 87. In Oberlin, the median household income is $126,000, against $81,000 in Pennsylvania’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. For Oberlin, the average trip to work is 29 minutes. The median commute is under 6 miles.

0%work in town

	Oberlin	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Median household income	$126,000	$81,000	$80,000
Average trip to work	29 minutes	26 minutes	25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Oberlin0%

Harrisburg14%

Swatara Township12%

Derry Township7%

Lower Paxton Township6%

6 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Oberlin

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageOberlin’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here87 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work0% work in Oberlin Commute times29 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 6 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Oberlin: four seasons and pleasant summers

A winter brings about 30 inches of snow, with January nights at 22° and July afternoons at 86°.

30″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter25–41°

Spring41–62°

Summer63–84°

Fall45–65°

Nov 2

typical first frost

Apr 9

typical last frost

+1.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageOberlin’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 86°, January lows 22°Rain & snow30″ of snow a winter · 44 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Oberlin is

In Oberlin, 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (38%) and U.S. towns (36%). This Pennsylvania town beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. Just over a fifth of Oberlin adults say their health is fair or poor.

	Oberlin	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	43%	38%	36%
No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES)	12%	6.9%	8.1%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	19%	16%	17%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	18%	17%	14%