PaxtangPark1909, 1909
Paxtang’s story
304 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1909.
- 1722Paxtang is settled
PaxtangPA
2 bordering townsMap →
Population
1,632
2025 Census estimate · −0.7% since 2020
Median home value
$180K
Census ACS
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
39.7
years
Jobs based here
366
A commuter town
Is Paxtang a good place to live?
Paxtang’s best subject grades are an A+ for walkability, an A− for cost of living, and an A for history. Only 126 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score higher on walkability. 4.1% of residents live below the poverty line in Paxtang, against 7.6% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Paxtang's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 83% of U.S. towns. Paxtang has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Paxtang stand out
Where Paxtang beats most towns.
How Paxtang grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Paxtang is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 17.3 of 20; 3.9% of households have no carA+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $180K, 2.2 years of the Harrisburg metro’s $81K median household incomeA−Open →Jobs & income$87K median household incomeB+Open →HealthUPMC Pinnacle Hospitals 1.6 miles awayBOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10% conserved landBOpen →HistoryAOpen →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 63 attractions →Hersheypark and 35 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Paxtang. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
18 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
10 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
9 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World
10 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arena
3 mi Stadium & arenaFNB FieldSources: 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 · FNB Field: Whammies Were Here, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Paxtang: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paxtang, and how to reach them.
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 & dumpNearest public drop-offDauphin County Recycling Center, 2 miOpenStreetMap
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 code1711117111 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 Paxtang.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Paxtang’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Paxtang for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Paxtang has lost 2,041 jobs, to 366 in 2023. Paxtang’s average trip to work is 22 minutes, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes.
2%work in town
| Paxtang | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Paxtang2%
Harrisburg16%
Swatara Township11%
Derry Township7%
Lower Paxton Township7%
6 mi
median commute distance
366
jobs based in Paxtang
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Paxtang fall behind 61% of Pennsylvania districts
Its public schools are run by Central Dauphin SD. Its one school is below.
39%of PA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paxtang El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 281 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Climate
In Paxtang, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Paxtang 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°
Summer63–84°
Fall45–65°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Paxtang ranks healthier than 65% of the country’s towns
Paxtang beats the Pennsylvania average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 42% of Paxtang adults sleep under 7 hours.
65%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Paxtang | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
3 better23 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Paxtang | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.5% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.6% | 8.8% |
UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals
1.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
9.7%conserved
9.7%
conserved · 25 of 258 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saussaman Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Paxtang Commons Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
An age mix much like Pennsylvania’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Pennsylvania average. 38% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Paxtang.
39.7median age · PA 40.9
| Paxtang | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 39.7 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
PaxtangPennsylvaniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school23%
Some college22%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Paxtang | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.1% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.9% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.5% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.5% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.8% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.2% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.2% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Paxtang
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 37 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Paxtang.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
37
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
Homes in Paxtang sell for about $203K
$203Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Paxtang
18pages on Paxtang
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Paxtang
Harrisburg University of Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Harrisburg2.4 mi$24,400 tuitionHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrisburg3.6 mi$6,975 in-state tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgUniversity or college · Public · Middletown6.3 mi$15,972 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Paxtang residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Paxtang for work
Where Paxtang’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
366jobs based in Paxtang
2%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Paxtang
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Paxtang is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,640. The borough is a suburb of Harrisburg and is one of the earliest colonial settlements in South Central Pennsylvania.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1722
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 371 ft
Paxtang’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Paxtang.
Swatara TownshipHarrisburgPaxtang
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paxtang | — | — | A− | — | C+ | B |
| Swatara Township | #769 | C+ | B− | C | C+ | B |
| Harrisburg | #1029 | D− | B | D | D− | D |
Paxtang has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Paxtang reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Paxtang with a neighbor →
Questions about Paxtang
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Paxtang, PA expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $180,000, 37% 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 A−.