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Rutherford, PA veterans memorial, Sept. 2025
Pennsylvania›Dauphin County
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RutherfordPA

A town of 6,890.

3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of Rutherford

Rutherford, PA · Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗

Population
6,890
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$214K
Census ACS
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
34.8
years
Jobs based here
996
A commuter town

Is Rutherford a good place to live?

12% of residents are 65 or older in Rutherford, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 18%. We don’t grade Rutherford yet; the figures below are still real.

A growing town

Rutherford has grown 34% from 2010 to 2020

4,303 counted in 2010 and 5,765 in 2020.

4,3032010
5,7652020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

Derry Street wb, Rutherford, PA (1), Sept. 2025
Derry Street wb, Rutherford, PA (1), Sept. 2025, 2025
Rutherford’s story

Rutherford in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2025 and 8 maps from 1892 on.

Explore the history →
Nearby attractions

Hersheypark and 36 more within 40 miles

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

All 64 attractions →
6 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year22 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument6 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium6 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World6 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arena40 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 Rutherford: who provides what

Rutherford 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 codes17111, 1703617111 87% · 17036 13%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 Rutherford.

Work & commute

With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Rutherford’s workers commute out

Just 2% of Rutherford’s working residents have a job in town. In Rutherford, the typical journey to work is 20 minutes, below both Pennsylvania’s towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Rutherford grew to 996 in 2023, 461 more than in 2013. Among workers here, 17% do their job from home.

2%work in town
RutherfordPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work20 minutes26 minutes25 minutes
Work from home17%12%11%
Working residents who work in town1.6%6.3%8%

Where working residents work

In Rutherford2%
Harrisburg14%
Lower Paxton Township10%
Swatara Township10%
Derry Township8%
7 mi
median commute distance
996
jobs based in Rutherford
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Full pageRutherford’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here996 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work2% work in RutherfordCommute times20 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 7 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazards

Top of a low hazard risk in Rutherford: inland flooding

The risk rating from FEMA in Rutherford is 24 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 60% come from inland flooding and 8% from hurricanes. Since 1978, Rutherford has seen 12 flood insurance claims paid out.

24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
24Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
12
paid flood claims since 1978
Full pageRutherford’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesLow riskFlood claims12 paid flood claims · Since 1978Past disasters18 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready2 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Rutherford

Expect chilly winters and warm summers in Rutherford. Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 22°; snowfall runs to about 24 inches a winter.

24″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter24–40°
Spring41–62°
Summer63–83°
Fall45–64°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageRutherford’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 85°, January lows 22°Rain & snow24″ of snow a winter · 45 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Rutherford is

In Rutherford, a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor. The town does better than the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 1. Two figures for adults in the town: 32% have obesity, 31% have high blood pressure.

RutherfordPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)42%38%36%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)32%35%35%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)31%34%35%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)17%18%16%
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
1 better24 too close to call1 worse
What stands outRutherfordPA
Fewer adults who have had cancer7%8.8%
More uninsured adults8.5%5.8%
UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals
5.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
Full pageRutherford’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore adults sleeping under 7 hoursHospitals & doctors nearby5.1 miles to an ER · UPMC Pinnacle HospitalsHow adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than PA on 1 of 26

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

Rutherford has set aside 2.5% of its land for conservation

Rutherford has 4 parks and preserves, 15 acres in all.

2.5%conserved
2.5%
conserved · 20 of 789 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Earl Long Memorial Park—5
2. Howard Randolph Memorial Park—4
3. Margie McNaughton Memorial Park—3
Full pageRutherford’s outdoors pageOpen the page
Trail map0.0 miles of trail, mappedPick a walk5 acres · Earl Long Memorial ParkConserved land2.5% conserved · 20 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Rutherford?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Housing

The median home in Rutherford sells for about $383K

A home in Rutherford typically sold within 3 days of listing. Bidding over the asking price: a third of homes sold in the town. Also worth knowing: for households in the town, the share who live in a home they own is 75%.

$383Kmedian sale price
RutherfordPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Households that own their home75%78%73%
Median rent$1,155 a month$1,115 a month$1,185 a month
Market temperature
Seller’s marketA strong seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
3
days on market
99%
sale-to-list price
6
homes sold in May
Full pageRutherford’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsPrices over the yearsYears of income to buyA typical home costs 4.6 years of incomeRents$1,155 a month · Median rentVs. the neighbors3 bordering towns

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Rutherford

16pages on Rutherford
The big questions
HealthBetter than PA on 1 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingWork & commute$84K median household income · 996 jobs hereNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
Outdoors0 mi of trails · 2% conserved landPlacesAttractions64 nearby · National Civil War Museum 5 miLibraryWilliam H & Marion C Alexander Family LibraryCollegesPennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg is 4.7 mi away
The story
HistoryClimate85° summer highs · 24″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

7 within 15 miles of the center of Rutherford

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgUniversity or college · Public · Middletown4.7 mi$15,972 in-state tuitionHarrisburg University of Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Harrisburg6 mi$24,400 tuitionHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrisburg6.5 mi$6,975 in-state tuition

About 4 of every 100 Rutherford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

98% of working residents leave Rutherford for work

Where Rutherford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

14% → Harrisburg Harrisburg 14% 10% → Lower Paxton Township Lower Paxton Township 10% 10% → Swatara Township Swatara Township 10% 8% → Derry Township Derry Township 8% 5% → Susquehanna Township Susquehanna Township 5% 3% → Hampden Township Hampden Township 3% Rutherford · 2% stay
996jobs based in Rutherford
2%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Rutherford

Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, US

Rutherford is a census-designated place (CDP) in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The area is also known as Rutherford Heights. The population was 4,303 at the 2010 census, an increase over the figure of 3,859 tabulated in 2000. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
1.2 sq mi
Elevation
510 ft

Rutherford’s neighbors

3 towns share a border with Rutherford.

Explore the map →
LawntonSwatara TownshipLower Paxton TownshipLawntonSwatara TownshipLower Paxton TownshipRutherford
Lawnton
W
Visit
Swatara Township
SW · 10% of Rutherford workers commute here
Visit
Lower Paxton Township
NW · 10% of Rutherford workers commute here
Visit
How the neighbors grade
TownPA rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Rutherford——————
Lawnton——————
Swatara Township#769C+B−CC+B
Lower Paxton Township#532BC—C+A−

Lower Paxton Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Rutherford and Lawnton aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rutherford with a neighbor →

Questions about Rutherford

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Rutherford, PA a good place to live?

We don’t grade Rutherford yet; the figures below are still real.