The Town Files

Manchester, Pennsylvania

Borough in York County · population 2,800 (2020 Census)

Map: where Manchester is in PennsylvaniaManchester
Median home
$195,900
Household income
$77,202
Jan low / Jul high
23° / 87°
Snow a year
24 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
16
Median age
32.9

Manchester is a borough of 2,800 people in York County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $195,900, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 78% of Pennsylvania towns, more walkable than 74% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Manchester 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.

Manchester lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement35th pctFamilies49th pctQuiet39th pctWalkability74th pctFirst-time buyers78th pctYoung professionals57th pctVibrancy65th pctHip & trendy39th pctCollege town56th pctUpscale60th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving57th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Manchester is worth $195,900, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $77,202, which is more affordable than 70% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,130 a month. 59.0% of households own their home.

Manchester vs York County vs typical Pennsylvania townManchesterYork CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$195,900$248,600$214,250Household income$77,202$84,829$75,278Monthly rent$1,130$1,193$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingManchesterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$195,900$214,250
Median rent$1,130$996
Median household income$77,202$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.5×2.8×
Homeownership59.0%81.5%
Median year built19751971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Manchester

PeopleManchesterTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age32.944.2
Age 65 and over16.8%21.1%
Under 1823.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher23.7%23.8%
Below the poverty line7.2%8.5%
Veterans9.0%—
Born outside the U.S.10.6%—
Work from home13.7%10.6%
Average commute34.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband90.7%89.0%

Weather in Manchester

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 23.7 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.

Manchester monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°23°Jan42°25°Feb51°32°Mar64°43°Apr74°53°May82°63°Jun87°68°Jul85°66°Aug78°58°Sep66°46°Oct54°36°Nov43°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.07.02.68.83.73.03.53.84.04.73.84.83.83.00.13.44.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Middletown Harrisburg Intl Ap station (9.4 mi away); snow from York Haven (3.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Manchester since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 5, 1952 about 7.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 12, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Manchester by decade31950s41960s11970s21980s31990s02000s22010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 45 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on April 9, 1980.

Severe weather in York County since 1996

Storm events in York County since 1996 by typeHail141Flood45Drought17Tornado15High Wind23Ice Storm7Heavy Snow36Flash Flood98
NOAA Storm Events Database, York County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 10 deaths recorded.

York County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 10, 2021HurricaneDR-4618: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
February 6, 2014Severe Ice StormEM-3367: Severe Winter Storm

Jobs and pay in York County

York County had 182,614 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,427 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Manchester itself the ACS puts it at 0.1%.

Largest industries in York CountyManufacturing32,814 jobs · $71,376Health care & social assistan…27,350 jobs · $73,898Retail19,975 jobs · $34,617Transportation & warehousing14,003 jobs · $52,933Hotels & restaurants13,418 jobs · $21,924Construction11,740 jobs · $83,004
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in York County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023York 3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Manchester

4 public schools with 2,432 students, about 15.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Northeastern SHS9-121,15116.0
Spring Forge Intrd Sch4-646616.6
Shallow Brook Inter Sch4-646016.4
Orendorf El SchK-335513.1

Towns near Manchester

Manchester questions

Is Manchester, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Manchester scores better for retirees than 35% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 39%. 16.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.9).

How much does a house cost in Manchester?

The median owner-occupied home in Manchester is valued at $195,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $77,202, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $1,130 a month.

What is the weather like in Manchester?

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 23.7 inches of snow.

Does Manchester get tornadoes?

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Manchester since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 5, 1952. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Manchester's Census boundary (GEOID 4246864). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.