South Hanover TownshipPA
A town of 7,372.
Is South Hanover Township a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Hanover Township grades B+ overall, 438th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 93% of the country. The median household earns $118K. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $393K, 4.9 years of the Harrisburg metro’s $81K median household income. 55% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in South Hanover Township, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 19 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Keller Field, at 38 acres.
What makes South Hanover Township stand out
Where South Hanover Township beats most towns.
| Widest gap | South Hanover Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8% | 14.5% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| South Hanover El Sch | K–5 | 371 |
South Hanover Township has grown 18% since 2010
6,248 counted in 2010 and 7,209 in 2020; an estimated 7,372 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How South Hanover Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far South Hanover Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Hersheypark and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Hanover Township. Close and well known come first.
3 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
25 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
3 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Stadium
3 mi MuseumHershey's Chocolate World
3 mi Stadium & arenaHersheypark Arena
32 mi Theme parkDutch WonderlandPhoto 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 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0
Moving to South Hanover Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Hanover Township, and how to reach them.
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 South Hanover Township.
South Hanover Township has less tooth loss than most of Pennsylvania and has household incomes well above the Pennsylvania norm, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
South Hanover Township’s grade for health is an A
Its widest gap with Pennsylvania is tooth loss: 8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.5% statewide.
South Hanover Township: 10% of adults report frequent physical distress. 14% of adults in South Hanover Township report frequent mental distress; 18% get no exercise outside work.
| South Hanover Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | South Hanover Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.3% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Public schools in South Hanover Township beat 71% of Pennsylvania districts
Its one school is below. Public schools: Lower Dauphin SD. Enrollment at South Hanover Township’s public school: 371 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hanover El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 371 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
2.7% of South Hanover Township is conserved land
Walkers can cover 5.5 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in South Hanover Township: 5, covering 84 acres.
| South Hanover Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Patriot Park | 0.4 mi | 20 |
| 2. Keller Field | — | 38 |
| 3. Swatara Creek Park | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most of South Hanover Township’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.5 jobs for each of them
The average commute for its 3,438 working residents takes 17.5 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania. Jobs based here grew from 914 in 2013 to 1,548.
In South Hanover Township, 2.7% of working residents work locally. Jobs in South Hanover Township grew by 634 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 1,548. The town’s average trip to work stands at 18 minutes. The top destinations are Derry Township (27%), Harrisburg (8%) and Lower Paxton Township (5%).
| South Hanover Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $118,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 16% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The climate in South Hanover Township brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 22°; snowfall runs to about 30 inches a winter. Expect chilly winters and warm summers in South Hanover Township.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Moderate risk in South Hanover Township, with inland flooding at the top
106 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 19 properties have flooded more than once.
FEMA puts 73% of South Hanover Township’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 7% to hurricanes. On expected storm and flood damage, South Hanover Township sits below 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, South Hanover Township has seen 106 flood insurance claims paid out.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about South Hanover Township
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of South Hanover Township
About 6 of every 100 South Hanover Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
97% of working residents leave South Hanover Township for work
Where South Hanover Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About South Hanover Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
South Hanover Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,206 at the 2020 census, an increase over the figure of 6,248 tabulated in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
South Hanover Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with South Hanover Township.
Lower Paxton Township next door grades lower for schools (C+ to South Hanover Township’s B+) and higher for cost of living (C to D).
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Hanover Township | #438 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A |
| Lower Paxton Township | #532 | B | C | — | C+ | A− |
| Derry Township | #265 | A | C− | B | A | A |
| Hummelstown | #460 | B+ | C+ | B− | B+ | A− |
| Swatara Township | #769 | C+ | B− | C | C+ | B |
| Hershey | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Union Deposit | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| East Hanover Township | #417 | B+ | C+ | — | B+ | A− |
South Hanover Township, Lower Paxton Township and East Hanover Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Hershey and Union Deposit aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Hanover Township with a neighbor →
Questions about South Hanover Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Hanover Township, PA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Hanover Township grades B+ overall, better than 71% of U.S. towns and #438 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades A for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is South Hanover Township, PA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.