The Town FilesLower Swatara, Pennsylvania
Township in Dauphin County · population 9,531 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $234,600
- Household income
- $87,163
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 30 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 17
- Median age
- 43.6
Lower Swatara is a township of 9,531 people in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $234,600, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more of a college town than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 91% of Pennsylvania towns, better for young professionals than 74% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Lower Swatara ranks
Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Lower Swatara is worth $234,600, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $87,163, which is more affordable than 59% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $962 a month. 87.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lower Swatara | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $234,600 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $962 | $996 |
| Median household income | $87,163 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.7× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 87.1% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1983 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.0% | — |
Who lives in Lower Swatara
| People | Lower Swatara | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.6 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.0% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 17.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.1% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.0% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 7.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.0% | — |
| Work from home | 13.8% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 21.9 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.7% | 89.0% |
Weather in Lower Swatara
July highs average 86.8°F and January lows 23.0°F. About 44.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 29.9 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 22 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 101 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lower Swatara since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on April 28, 2011 about 9.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 12, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 42 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on April 9, 1980.
Severe weather in Dauphin County since 1996
Dauphin County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 10, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4618: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| March 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| January 10, 2013 | Hurricane | DR-4099: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Dauphin County
Dauphin County had 190,296 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $68,012 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Lower Swatara itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.
Towns near Lower Swatara
- Highspire, PA1.6 mi · 2,741 people · home $144,700
- Middletown, PA1.9 mi · 9,533 people · home $161,600
- Swatara, PA3.1 mi · 27,824 people · home $214,400
- Rutherford, PA3.6 mi · 5,765 people · home $214,200
- Steelton, PA3.6 mi · 6,263 people · home $134,800
- Lawnton, PA3.9 mi · 4,967 people · home $222,600
- Londonderry, PA4.0 mi · 4,899 people · home $241,700
- Hummelstown, PA4.0 mi · 4,544 people · home $245,100
Lower Swatara questions
Is Lower Swatara, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lower Swatara scores better for retirees than 50% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 27%. 21.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.6).
How much does a house cost in Lower Swatara?
The median owner-occupied home in Lower Swatara is valued at $234,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $87,163, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $962 a month.
What is the weather like in Lower Swatara?
July highs average 86.8°F and January lows 23.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.2 inches of precipitation a year and 29.9 inches of snow.
Does Lower Swatara get tornadoes?
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lower Swatara since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on April 28, 2011. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)