Red Brick Apts s of Newville PA, 2015
Penn Township’s story
Penn Township in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2015 and 5 maps from 1919 on.
Explore the history →Penn TownshipCumberland County, PA
A town of 2,937 in Pennsylvania.
Population
2,937
2025 Census estimate · +2.3% since 2020
Median home value
$238K
Census ACS
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
41.0
years
Jobs based here
865
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#423 of 1032 in PA
Is Penn Township a good place to live?
Incomes are its strong suit (A−): the median household earns $80K. It is strong on schools as well: its schools outperform 69% of the state's. The catch is health (C+) — CDC estimates put its residents' health behind just over three fifths of the country. Homes run about $238K for a typical one, 2.9 times the Harrisburg metro’s $81K median household income. Put together, the subjects come to a B+ overall, ranking 423rd of 1032 in Pennsylvania. Nationally, it does better than 73% of U.S. towns. Nearly a third of the land in Penn Township is conserved, above both the Pennsylvania town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). 27% of residents are under 18 locally, against 20% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · USGS PAD-US.
StrongestA−Jobs & income
What makes Penn Township stand out
Where Penn Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Penn Township for work
Where Penn Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
865jobs based in Penn Township
5%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Penn Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Penn Township is from typical.
Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesBOpen →HealthUPMC Carlisle 8.5 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 7.8% of households have no car; 5.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors32% conserved landB+Open →HistoryAbout average among the towns comparedC+Open →Civic life4.2 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 →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Penn Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Penn Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNewville Boro Water Auth1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers83% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Penn Township’s trash rules yet
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 hereCumberland County Board of ElectionsCumberland County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2025
ZIP codes17241, 17015, 1725717241 64% · 17015 31% · 17257 6%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 Penn Township.
Penn Township keeps more of its land conserved than most of Pennsylvania and has more than doubled its jobs in ten years.
OutdoorsB+
Penn Township’s grade for the outdoors is a B+
Its 6,048 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 92% of Pennsylvania towns.
In Penn Township, the concentration of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Michaux State Forest, at 1,015 acres. This Pennsylvania town has 4 parks and preserves, 1,939 acres in all.
#667for trails in PA
32.1%
conserved · 6,048 of 18,858 acres
4.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kings Gap Environmental Education Center | 1.9 mi | 916 |
| 2. Michaux State Forest | 0.4 mi | 1,015 |
| 3. Centerville Community Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most of Penn Township’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.7 jobs for each of them
Jobs based here grew from 428 in 2013 to 865.
Half commute less than 18 miles. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Penn Township rose by 437, to 865. For most workers, Penn Township is a place to come home to: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are Carlisle (10%), South Middleton Township (8%) and Middlesex Township (5%).
5%work in town
| Penn Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Penn Township5%
Carlisle10%
South Middleton Township8%
Middlesex Township5%
West Pennsboro Township4%
18 mi
median commute distance
865
jobs based in Penn Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 48% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Penn Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Penn Township has had 3 paid flood insurance claims since 1996. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 67% come from inland flooding and 11% from hurricanes.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesDrought
3
paid flood claims since 1996
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Penn Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 22°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–65°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Penn Township trails 61% of U.S. towns
For adults in Penn Township, the share who binge drink is 18%. 15% of adults in Penn Township report frequent physical distress; 21% say their health is fair or poor.
39%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Penn Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better20 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Penn Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.5% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 7.7% |
| More smokers | 18.8% | 15.8% |
UPMC Carlisle
8.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
25th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 65 attractions →Raven Rock Mountain Complex and 38 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Penn Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
11 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
38 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
5 mi State parkPine Grove Furnace State Park
21 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
20 mi LandmarkGettysburg National CemeterySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Raven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Hersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Penn Township
18pages on Penn Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Penn Township
Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaUniversity or college · Public · Shippensburg9.9 mi$13,720 in-state tuitionDickinson CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Carlisle10.4 mi$65,650 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Penn Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Penn Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Penn Township is a township in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States, established on October 23, 1860, from Upper Dickinson Township. The population was 2,924 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 30 sq mi
Penn Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Penn Township.
South Newton TownshipWest Pennsboro TownshipDickinson TownshipCooke TownshipPenn Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Township | #423 | B+ | B | — | B+ | C+ |
| South Newton Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C |
| West Pennsboro Township | #589 | B | C+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Dickinson Township | #501 | B+ | B | — | B− | B+ |
| Cooke Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
South Newton Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Penn Township, South Newton Township, West Pennsboro Township and Dickinson Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Cooke Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Penn Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Penn Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Penn Township, PA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Penn Township grades B+ overall, better than 73% of U.S. towns and #423 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health and B+ for schools.
Is Penn Township, PA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.