Population 16,842 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hershey
Household size in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.28 | 2.43 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.42 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.44 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | +0.03 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Hershey is a place of small households, averaging 2.34 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.41, in line with the national trend. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.9 | 39.8 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 40.6 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 40.9 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 40.7 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.2 | +0.8 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 38.6, the median age in Hershey is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in the wider Harrisburg area, where the median age is 40.7. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 10.0% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 10.7% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 10.2% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 10.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +0.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Hershey than nationally: 9.5%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the Harrisburg area. The single-parent share is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Hershey
Renters in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6% | 30.3% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.4% | 31.6% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.9% | 32.4% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 43.0% | 32.0% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Hershey than nationally: 43.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 40.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share has risen 2.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 34 of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 8.6% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.5% of homes in Hershey are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. The Harrisburg area as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy has fallen 2.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1969 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1970 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1971 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1974 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Hershey leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $854 | $808 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $900 | $909 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,041 | $1,045 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,308 | $1,304 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$454 | +$496 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in Hershey pays $1,308 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $454 a month since 2006–10, up 53%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 26.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the southeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Hershey
Bachelor's degrees in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.8% | 28.6% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.1% | 29.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.6% | 32.7% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.6% | 35.9% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +7.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Hershey (44.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is down 2.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.9% | 89.0% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.8% | 89.8% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.7% | 90.8% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.0% | 91.8% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | +2.8 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Hershey have finished high school (91.0%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Harrisburg area. The share with a diploma is down 3.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Hershey
| Period | Hershey | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 5.6% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 6.9% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 4.2% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 4.2% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.1%, unemployment in Hershey is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Harrisburg area overall (4.2%). Unemployment is up 2.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Hershey compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hershey | 2.34 | 38.6 | 9.5% | 43.0% | 5.5% | 1974 | $1,308 | 44.6% | 91.0% | 5.1% |
| Hummelstown | 2.44 | 40.5 | 7.9% | 28.6% | 4.2% | 1986 | $1,474 | 59.4% | 97.3% | 2.9% |
| Campbelltown | 2.73 | 37.9 | 8.2% | 26.4% | 7.3% | 2002 | $1,570 | 50.6% | 95.6% | 0.6% |
| Palmyra | 2.55 | 40.2 | 8.3% | 28.5% | 5.3% | 1977 | $1,303 | 39.0% | 94.2% | 2.2% |
| Deodate | 2.47 | 41.5 | 10.8% | 13.9% | 11.1% | 1974 | $967 | 36.7% | 91.6% | 6.3% |
| Syner | 2.80 | 46.3 | 5.9% | 7.8% | 5.5% | 1972 | $1,172 | 30.5% | 94.5% | 0.5% |
| Middletown | 2.23 | 39.7 | 12.0% | 33.5% | 7.5% | 1973 | $1,146 | 28.5% | 93.1% | 3.2% |
| Mount Wilson | 2.75 | 40.5 | 6.8% | 9.6% | 7.2% | 1976 | $1,288 | 36.9% | 93.3% | 1.4% |
| Annville | 2.37 | 43.1 | 5.7% | 24.9% | 5.5% | 1967 | $1,194 | 31.8% | 93.7% | 4.6% |
| Bellaire | 2.42 | 51.0 | 7.2% | 7.6% | 4.2% | 1982 | $1,628 | 26.7% | 83.3% | 1.8% |
| Royalton | 2.19 | 44.5 | 10.9% | 26.7% | 9.5% | 1955 | $1,092 | 18.6% | 91.7% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hillsboro, MO · Iona, FL · Hutchinson, MN · Hueytown, AL · Hubert, NC · Horsham, PA · Holmen, WI · Holmdel, NJ · Hollins, VA · Hillsboro, OH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Hershey. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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