Population 83,331 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mechanicsburg
Household size in Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.43 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.42 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.44 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | +0.03 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Mechanicsburg run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.39, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.2 | 39.8 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.2 | 40.6 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.8 | 40.9 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.6 | 40.7 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +0.8 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Mechanicsburg skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.6, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has crept up from 42.2 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 10.0% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 10.7% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.6% | 10.2% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 10.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +0.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.1% of households in Mechanicsburg, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Mechanicsburg has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Pennsylvania cities.
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 Mechanicsburg
Renters in Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.6% | 30.3% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 31.6% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.7% | 32.4% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 32.0% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Mechanicsburg own their homes; 25.7% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly four in ten owners (37.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share has edged up 1.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.8% | 8.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 8.6% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Mechanicsburg: just 4.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is up 0.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1969 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1970 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1971 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1974 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Mechanicsburg is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center. Of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people, only 29 have newer homes.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $945 | $808 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,018 | $909 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,366 | $1,045 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,606 | $1,304 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$661 | +$496 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in Mechanicsburg pays $1,606 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are higher than in the wider Harrisburg area ($1,304). Rent has climbed $661 a month since 2006–10, up 70%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 25.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Mechanicsburg
Bachelor's degrees in Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.9% | 28.6% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 42.5% | 29.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.7% | 32.7% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 51.4% | 35.9% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.5 pts | +7.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Mechanicsburg: 51.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 10.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.0% | 89.0% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.0% | 89.8% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.4% | 90.8% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.5% | 91.8% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +2.8 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Mechanicsburg: 96.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Mechanicsburg
| Period | Mechanicsburg | Harrisburg area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 5.6% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 6.9% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.2% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.4% | 4.2% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mechanicsburg has been low: just 2.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.6 points, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
Mechanicsburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanicsburg | 2.47 | 42.6 | 6.1% | 25.7% | 4.4% | 1989 | $1,606 | 51.4% | 96.5% | 2.4% |
| Windsor Park | 1.93 | 27.4 | 9.2% | 67.3% | 1.2% | 2001 | $1,321 | 24.7% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Shiremanstown | 2.31 | 37.6 | 8.4% | 34.3% | 0.8% | 1955 | $1,134 | 35.8% | 97.7% | 9.2% |
| Camp Hill | 2.51 | 42.4 | 5.3% | 23.7% | 6.5% | 1966 | $1,429 | 49.6% | 94.3% | 3.4% |
| New Kingstown | 2.20 | 51.8 | 1.7% | 16.8% | 6.0% | 1997 | $1,222 | 41.7% | 96.4% | 1.6% |
| Grantham | 1.50 | 24.4 | 7.8% | 23.5% | 39.8% | 1982 | $1,798 | 64.3% | 99.3% | 7.2% |
| Lower Allen | 2.70 | 35.3 | 15.5% | 38.8% | 7.2% | 1960 | $1,306 | 42.2% | 94.2% | 3.2% |
| Wormleysburg | 2.37 | 34.0 | 10.6% | 56.4% | 6.7% | 1967 | $1,387 | 39.4% | 93.1% | 6.1% |
| Enola | 2.42 | 40.0 | 6.5% | 26.3% | 3.4% | 1983 | $1,494 | 37.4% | 95.0% | 4.0% |
| Lemoyne | 1.92 | 41.7 | 7.6% | 46.4% | 1.6% | 1952 | $1,407 | 38.6% | 88.2% | 2.5% |
| New Cumberland | 2.40 | 41.7 | 9.0% | 24.7% | 3.7% | 1967 | $1,194 | 37.0% | 94.5% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Miami Gardens, FL · Missoula, MT · Missouri City, TX · Mission Viejo, CA · Mission, TX · Moreno Valley, CA · Milpitas, CA · Metairie, LA · Minneapolis, MN · Mesquite, TX
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 Mechanicsburg. 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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