ReftonPA
This town of 321 people was settled in 1878.
Is Refton a good place to live?
63% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Refton, above both the Pennsylvania town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare, none has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Refton. Refton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
321 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Refton: who provides what
Refton is unincorporated, so Lancaster County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Refton.
Refton has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Jobs based in Refton grew to 51 in 2023, 31 more than in 2013. The typical household income for Refton comes to $147,000. Half commute less than 10 miles. The top destinations are Lancaster (9%), Strasburg Township (9%) and East Hempfield Township (6%).
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Refton
In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 22°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Refton is
Refton does better than the Pennsylvania average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 3. Among adults here, 17% binge drink. In Refton, 16% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 14% smoke cigarettes.
| Refton | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 5.9% | 6.9% | 8.1% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Refton | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 68.3% | 64.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Refton: inland flooding
65% of Refton’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 15%. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 50% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Hersheypark and 54 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Refton. Close and well known come first.
32 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
6 mi Theme parkDutch Wonderland
31 mi GardenLongwood Gardens
5 mi MuseumRailroad Museum of Pennsylvania
35 mi MuseumWinterthur Museum, Garden and Library
16 mi MuseumEphrata CloisterPhoto credits
Hersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania: Dough4872, Public domain · Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5 · Ephrata Cloister: 1549bcp at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Everything we know about Refton
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of Refton
About 9 of every 100 Refton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
100% of working residents leave Refton for work
Where Refton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Refton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Refton, PA a good place to live?
Refton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.