Hershey, PA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

Why look at Hershey?

  • Mid-tier housing market. Median home is $405k.
  • Stable market. Home values +3.3% year-over-year — neither overheated nor falling.
  • Higher tax state. Top marginal income tax rate around 3.1% — factor into salary comparisons.
View watchlist →
76
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Hershey stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.4% in the last year.

Median home $405,209
1-year +3.3%
5-yr growth +6.6%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$405k$204k$276k$349k$421k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
55/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,807/mo$0$968$1,9362026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent104105801002026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.7
Lean buy

At a 18.7 price-to-rent ratio, Hershey is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
66 · w22%
Home 5-yr growth
73 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Rent YoY
81 · w12%
Home 10-yr growth
70 · w10%

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Dauphin County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Dauphin County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Pennsylvania context

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 63°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
186
~51% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
30″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Low
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Hershey listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Harrisburg-Carlisle area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$73,800
Pennsylvania state median
Top industries (state-level)
Healthcare (Pittsburgh)Finance (Philly)Manufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Find more cities like Hershey

Open the matchmaker pre-filled to match Hershey’s price band, region, and size — refine to taste.

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Cities similar to Hershey

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Pennsylvania cities →    Browse best-of lists →

Cost-of-ownership at the median

Tax burden
3.1% top marginal
~27% all-in for a $150k earner
Property tax / yr
$6k
1.53% × median home $405k
Climate / hazard
limited data
Plan for the local hazard profile.

Snapshot assumes a $150k single earner buying at the median home. Your real numbers depend on bracket, deductions, school district, and HOA. Use the affordability calculator and net-pay calculator for your specific case.

Schools & crime context

Schools

School quality is district-by-district and varies dramatically within a city. Check GreatSchools or your state DOE rankings for specific schools before deciding. City-level school data coming soon.

Crime

Pennsylvania: 379 violent crimes per 100K residents (state avg, FBI UCR). Neighborhood-level rates can vary 10× within one city — research specific areas via CrimeGrade or local police data.

Compare to where you live now

Set your current city once and we’ll show the cost delta on every city profile.