The Town Files

McSherrystown, Pennsylvania

Borough in Adams County · population 3,077 (2020 Census)

Map: where McSherrystown is in PennsylvaniaMcSherrystown
Median home
$176,100
Household income
$61,159
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 85°
Snow a year
28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
31.0

McSherrystown is a borough of 3,077 people in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $176,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more of a college town than 95% of Pennsylvania towns, more walkable than 93% of Pennsylvania towns, more vibrant than 93% of Pennsylvania towns.

How McSherrystown 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.

McSherrystown lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement15th pctFamilies43rd pctQuiet6th pctWalkability93rd pctFirst-time buyers67th pctYoung professionals35th pctVibrancy93rd pctHip & trendy65th pctCollege town95th pctUpscale13th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving72nd 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 McSherrystown is worth $176,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $61,159, which is more affordable than 48% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,387 a month. 48.2% of households own their home.

McSherrystown vs Adams County vs typical Pennsylvania townMcSherrystownAdams CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$176,100$268,500$214,250Household income$61,159$84,092$75,278Monthly rent$1,387$1,115$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingMcSherrystownTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$176,100$214,250
Median rent$1,387$996
Median household income$61,159$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.9×2.8×
Homeownership48.2%81.5%
Median year built19731971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in McSherrystown

PeopleMcSherrystownTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age31.044.2
Age 65 and over15.6%21.1%
Under 1826.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.0%23.8%
Below the poverty line19.3%8.5%
Veterans8.2%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home0.9%10.6%
Average commute15.8 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband84.2%89.0%

Weather in McSherrystown

July highs average 85.3°F and January lows 21.2°F. About 44.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.2 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 122 nights at or below freezing.

McSherrystown monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°21°Jan42°23°Feb50°30°Mar63°40°Apr72°50°May81°60°Jun85°64°Jul84°62°Aug77°54°Sep66°43°Oct54°33°Nov44°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.08.02.69.73.75.23.70.13.93.74.33.94.83.90.13.10.63.54.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hanover 4 Sw station (2.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of McSherrystown since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 7, 1980 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 7, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of McSherrystown by decade21950s01960s41970s11980s31990s12000s12010s22020s
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 33 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 22, 2024.

Severe weather in Adams County since 1996

Storm events in Adams County since 1996 by typeHail42Heat7Flood22Drought12Tornado10High Wind17Ice Storm8Heavy Snow32
NOAA Storm Events Database, Adams County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Adams County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 12, 2011FloodDR-4030: Tropical Storm Lee

Jobs and pay in Adams County

Adams County had 33,195 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,542 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in McSherrystown itself the ACS puts it at 8.2%.

Largest industries in Adams CountyManufacturing6,832 jobs · $64,562Health care & social assistan…4,373 jobs · $64,748Hotels & restaurants3,854 jobs · $22,685Retail3,556 jobs · $35,865Construction1,501 jobs · $73,755Transportation & warehousing1,141 jobs · $52,447
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Adams County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Adams 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near McSherrystown

McSherrystown questions

Is McSherrystown, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, McSherrystown scores better for retirees than 15% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 6%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.0).

How much does a house cost in McSherrystown?

The median owner-occupied home in McSherrystown is valued at $176,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,159, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $1,387 a month.

What is the weather like in McSherrystown?

July highs average 85.3°F and January lows 21.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.1 inches of precipitation a year and 28.2 inches of snow.

Does McSherrystown get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of McSherrystown since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 7, 1980. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to McSherrystown's Census boundary (GEOID 4246376). 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.