The Town Files

Middle Paxton, Pennsylvania

Township in Dauphin County · population 5,048 (2020 Census)

Map: where Middle Paxton is in PennsylvaniaMiddle Paxton
Median home
$262,700
Household income
$80,391
Jan low / Jul high
22° / 85°
Snow a year
24 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
13
Median age
53.7

Middle Paxton is a township of 5,048 people in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $262,700, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for retirees than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 96% of Pennsylvania towns, more upscale than 87% of Pennsylvania towns.

Middle Paxton in our rankings:

How Middle Paxton 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.

Middle Paxton lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement99th pctFamilies80th pctQuiet82nd pctWalkability15th pctFirst-time buyers96th pctYoung professionals75th pctVibrancy29th pctHip & trendy72nd pctCollege town52nd pctUpscale87th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving46th 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 Middle Paxton is worth $262,700, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $80,391, which is more affordable than 29% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $966 a month. 89.6% of households own their home.

Middle Paxton vs Dauphin County vs typical Pennsylvania townMiddle PaxtonDauphin CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$262,700$236,400$214,250Household income$80,391$76,242$75,278Monthly rent$966$1,217$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingMiddle PaxtonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$262,700$214,250
Median rent$966$996
Median household income$80,391$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.3×2.8×
Homeownership89.6%81.5%
Median year built19761971
Seasonal / vacation homes2.4%—

Who lives in Middle Paxton

PeopleMiddle PaxtonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age53.744.2
Age 65 and over30.7%21.1%
Under 1817.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher42.3%23.8%
Below the poverty line5.3%8.5%
Veterans13.5%—
Born outside the U.S.0.7%—
Work from home22.6%10.6%
Average commute24.9 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband82.7%89.0%

Weather in Middle Paxton

July highs average 85.2°F and January lows 21.8°F. About 45.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 23.9 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 111 nights at or below freezing.

Middle Paxton monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°22°Jan40°23°Feb48°30°Mar61°40°Apr72°51°May81°60°Jun85°65°Jul83°62°Aug75°55°Sep63°43°Oct51°34°Nov41°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.96.42.87.73.94.53.90.44.04.04.84.34.63.82.90.73.44.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Harrisburg 1 Ne station (7.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Middle Paxton since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 5, 2026 about 7.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 5, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Middle Paxton by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s21990s22000s72010s22020s
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 40 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 3, 2023.

Severe weather in Dauphin County since 1996

Storm events in Dauphin County since 1996 by typeHail72Heat7Flood36Tornado11High Wind21Ice Storm6Heavy Snow28Flash Flood46
NOAA Storm Events Database, Dauphin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 8 deaths recorded.

Dauphin County has been included in 22 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
January 10, 2013HurricaneDR-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 Middle Paxton itself the ACS puts it at 0.9%.

Largest industries in Dauphin CountyHealth care & social assistan…39,478 jobs · $72,781Retail13,747 jobs · $36,338Transportation & warehousing13,694 jobs · $58,359Hotels & restaurants12,508 jobs · $26,473Manufacturing12,447 jobs · $81,746Administrative & support9,317 jobs · $44,831
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Dauphin County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Dauphin 3.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Middle Paxton

Middle Paxton questions

Is Middle Paxton, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Middle Paxton scores better for retirees than 99% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 82%. 30.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.7).

How much does a house cost in Middle Paxton?

The median owner-occupied home in Middle Paxton is valued at $262,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $80,391, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $966 a month.

What is the weather like in Middle Paxton?

July highs average 85.2°F and January lows 21.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.2 inches of precipitation a year and 23.9 inches of snow.

Does Middle Paxton get tornadoes?

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Middle Paxton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 5, 2026. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Middle Paxton's Census boundary (GEOID 4204349040). 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 2026-11-12.