The Town Files

Swartzville, Pennsylvania

Community in Lancaster County · population 2,273 (2020 Census)

Map: where Swartzville is in PennsylvaniaSwartzville
Median home
$294,700
Household income
$97,353
Jan low / Jul high
24° / 86°
Snow a year
27 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
53.1

Swartzville is a community of 2,273 people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $294,700, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better for families than 94% of Pennsylvania towns, easier by car than 88% of Pennsylvania towns, more upscale than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Swartzville 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.

Swartzville lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement25th pctFamilies94th pctQuiet47th pctWalkability61st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals48th pctVibrancy66th pctHip & trendy17th pctCollege town56th pctUpscale77th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving88th 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 Swartzville is worth $294,700, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $97,353, which is more affordable than 43% of Pennsylvania towns. 95.0% of households own their home.

Swartzville vs Lancaster County vs typical Pennsylvania townSwartzvilleLancaster CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$294,700$301,100$214,250Household income$97,353$86,959$75,278
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingSwartzvilleTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$294,700$214,250
Median rent—$996
Median household income$97,353$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.0×2.8×
Homeownership95.0%81.5%
Median year built19911971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Swartzville

PeopleSwartzvilleTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age53.144.2
Age 65 and over18.6%21.1%
Under 1821.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher36.4%23.8%
Below the poverty line1.8%8.5%
Veterans3.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.5%—
Work from home14.0%10.6%
Average commute18.7 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband98.5%89.0%

Weather in Swartzville

July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 23.5°F. About 46.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.2 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 98 nights at or below freezing.

Swartzville monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°24°Jan42°25°Feb51°32°Mar63°42°Apr73°53°May81°62°Jun86°66°Jul84°65°Aug77°58°Sep65°47°Oct54°37°Nov43°29°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.37.42.89.54.15.03.60.33.54.54.44.34.94.60.33.20.83.73.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the New Holland 2 Se station (10.6 mi away); snow from Reading 3.5 Sw (7.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Swartzville since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on November 4, 1950 about 0.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 4, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Swartzville by decade31950s01960s11970s01980s11990s02000s12010s12020s
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 43 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on May 22, 2014.

Severe weather in Lancaster County since 1996

Storm events in Lancaster County since 1996 by typeHail159Flood60Drought15Tornado19High Wind25Heavy Snow32Flash Flood123Funnel Cloud8
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lancaster County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 13 deaths recorded.

Lancaster County has been included in 22 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
February 6, 2014Severe Ice StormEM-3367: Severe Winter Storm
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Lancaster County

Lancaster County had 252,045 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,966 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Swartzville itself the ACS puts it at 1.8%.

Largest industries in Lancaster CountyHealth care & social assistan…43,677 jobs · $62,809Manufacturing37,215 jobs · $70,706Retail29,138 jobs · $36,953Hotels & restaurants20,463 jobs · $24,175Construction18,874 jobs · $77,616Transportation & warehousing14,031 jobs · $59,054
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lancaster County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Lancaster 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Swartzville

Swartzville questions

Is Swartzville, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Swartzville scores better for retirees than 25% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 47%. 18.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.1).

How much does a house cost in Swartzville?

The median owner-occupied home in Swartzville is valued at $294,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $97,353, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Swartzville?

July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 23.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.8 inches of precipitation a year and 27.2 inches of snow.

Does Swartzville get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Swartzville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on November 4, 1950. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Swartzville's Census boundary (GEOID 4275664). 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.