Millersburg Ferry · National Register of Historic Places
Upper Paxton Township’s story
Upper Paxton Township in pictures
The archive holds 6 maps from 1893 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
Upper Paxton TownshipPA
A town of 4,041.
8 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,041
2025 Census estimate · +0.8% since 2020
Median home value
$189K
Census ACS
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
46.8
years
Jobs based here
1,228
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#913 of 1032 in PA
Is Upper Paxton Township a good place to live?
Upper Paxton Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $188K for a typical one, or 2.3 years of the Harrisburg metro’s $81K median household income. It grades C overall, 913th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. 15% of the land in Upper Paxton Township is conserved, above both the Pennsylvania town median (8.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Millersburg Ferry is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns.
What makes Upper Paxton Township stand out
Where Upper Paxton Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
87% of working residents leave Upper Paxton Township for work
Where Upper Paxton Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,228jobs based in Upper Paxton Township
13%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Upper Paxton Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Upper Paxton Township is from typical.
Its best grade is an A− for history (1 place on the National Register), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its C comes from the livability subjects above.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$58K median household income; 1,228 jobs based hereCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →HealthPenn State Health Hampden Medical Center 19.8 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsB+Open →History1 place on the National RegisterA−Open →Civic life5.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−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 Upper Paxton Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Upper Paxton Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMillersburg Water AuthNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Upper Paxton 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 hereDauphin County Board of ElectionsDauphin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2022
ZIP codes17061, 1701717061 95% · 17017 5%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 Upper Paxton Township.
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 14.6% of Upper Paxton Township
15 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is State Game Lands Number 258, at 320 acres.
#435for trails in PA
14.6%
conserved · 2,900 of 19,877 acres
15 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. State Game Lands Number 258 | — | 320 |
| 2. Wiconisco Recreation Area | — | 13 |
| 3. MYO Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Upper Paxton Township fall behind 59% of Pennsylvania districts
One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
41%of PA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Dauphin Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 186 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most of Upper Paxton Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Upper Paxton Township for work: only 13% work in town. 19% of Upper Paxton Township residents live below the poverty line, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 7.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The average trip to work in Upper Paxton Township is 33 minutes.
13%work in town
| Upper Paxton Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Upper Paxton Township13%
Harrisburg9%
Washington Township7%
Susquehanna Township6%
Millersburg6%
19 mi
median commute distance
1,228
jobs based in Upper Paxton Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Upper Paxton Township is less healthy than 67% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,375 U.S. towns with household incomes like Upper Paxton Township’s, it is healthier than 55%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Upper Paxton Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 19% of Upper Paxton Township adults smoke cigarettes.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Upper Paxton Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
1 better13 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Upper Paxton Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 79.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.2% | 5.8% |
Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
19.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
18th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Upper Paxton Township
Upper Paxton Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 22° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–39°
Spring40–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall44–64°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Upper Paxton Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 55 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Upper Paxton Township.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
55
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Upper Paxton Township
18pages on Upper Paxton Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Upper Paxton Township; the nearest are
Susquehanna UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Selinsgrove15.7 mi$59,850 tuitionHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrisburg19.3 mi$6,975 in-state tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgUniversity or college · Public · Middletown27.4 mi$15,972 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Upper Paxton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Upper Paxton Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Upper Paxton Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,008 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 31 sq mi
Upper Paxton Township’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Upper Paxton Township.
Lower Mahanoy TownshipLiverpool TownshipBuffalo TownshipLiverpoolHalifax TownshipMifflin TownshipWashington TownshipJackson TownshipUpper Paxton Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Paxton Township | #913 | C | B+ | — | C+ | C |
| Lower Mahanoy Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C |
| Liverpool Township · Liverpool | — | — | B | — | A | B− |
| Buffalo Township | — | — | A | — | B− | B− |
| Halifax Township | #548 | B | B+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Mifflin Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Washington Township | — | — | B+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Jackson Township | — | — | B | — | C+ | B− |
Lower Mahanoy Township, Liverpool Township, Buffalo Township, Washington Township and Jackson Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Upper Paxton Township, Lower Mahanoy Township, Liverpool Township, Buffalo Township, Halifax Township, Washington Township and Jackson Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Mifflin Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Liverpool and Liverpool Township are one community, graded once. Compare Upper Paxton Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Upper Paxton Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Upper Paxton Township, PA a good place to live?
Upper Paxton Township grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #913 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C for health and C+ for schools.
Is Upper Paxton Township, PA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.