US 209 nb near Williamstown, PA, Aug. 2023, 2023
Williamstown’s story
161 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2023.
- 1865Williamstown is settled
WilliamstownPA
A town of 1,298, settled in 1865.
Population
1,298
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Typical home
$136K
−5.6% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
36.1
years
Jobs based here
82
A commuter town
Is Williamstown a good place to live?
The best of Williamstown’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for walkability; the weakest is a D for incomes. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Williamstown, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (7.6%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 59 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do worse. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 88% of the country. Williamstown has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Williamstown stand out
Where Williamstown beats most towns.
Typical home value
Williamstown$136K
Pennsylvania$287K
Cost of livingA
1.7 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 93% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 84% of U.S. towns
7.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Small town
1,298 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Williamstown grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Williamstown is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & income$62K median household incomeDOpen →HealthWellspan Good Samaritan Hospital 19.9 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 10.5% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsBehind 71% of Pennsylvania districts on tests and graduationCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landC+Open →History2 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life6.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.1; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Williamstown: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Williamstown, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWilliamstown Boro Auth water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offValley Waste Solutions, 3 miOpenStreetMap
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 code1709817098 100%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 Williamstown.
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Williamstown are worth about $136K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Williamstown home is worth about $136,000, down 5.6% in a year, 53% below the Pennsylvania typical home. 63% of Williamstown households own their home, below both the Pennsylvania town median (78%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The median rent in Williamstown is $888 a month.
$136KZillow home value
| Williamstown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $888 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Williamstown$136K
Pennsylvania$287K
−5.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthD
A larger share of adults smoke cigarettes in Williamstown than in most of Pennsylvania or the rest of the country
24% of Williamstown adults smoke cigarettes. Williamstown beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 42% of Williamstown adults sleep under 7 hours.
12%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Williamstown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better12 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Williamstown | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.1% | 7.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 9% | 5.8% |
Wellspan Good Samaritan Hospital
19.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Williamstown’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Williamstown for work: only 2% work in town. Williamstown’s average trip to work is 32 minutes. Jobs based in Williamstown fell to 82 in 2023, 58 fewer than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Williamstown | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Williamstown2%
Washington Township7%
Harrisburg7%
Upper Paxton Township4%
Lower Swatara Township3%
22 mi
median commute distance
82
jobs based in Williamstown
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Williamstown
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Williamstown
Williamstown has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 19° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–36°
Spring38–57°
Summer60–78°
Fall43–60°
Oct 16
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.7%conserved
2.7%
conserved · 4 of 165 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Williamstown
19pages on Williamstown
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Williamstown; the nearest are
Lebanon Valley CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Annville18.1 mi$52,080 tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State SchuylkillUniversity or college · Public · Schuylkill Haven24 mi$15,208 in-state tuitionHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrisburg24.2 mi$6,975 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Williamstown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Williamstown for work
Where Williamstown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
82jobs based in Williamstown
2%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Williamstown
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Williamstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Harrisburg. Formerly, anthracite coal mines and hosiery mills were located in the borough. The town takes its name from a Revolutionary War-era traveler who passed through the region and operated a sawmill nearby. Tunneling through Big Lick Mountain at the future colliery site began in 1856–57 under the Summit Branch Railroad Company, and the transportation of anthracite coal from the mine complex began in 1866 — the year the Williamstown Colliery shipped 67,643 tons in its first year of operation. The mine became a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1870s and i…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 866 ft
- ZIP code
- 17098
Questions about Williamstown
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Williamstown, 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 A.
What is Williamstown, PA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Arthur Byron Coble and Gary Collins.