The Town Files

Williams, Pennsylvania

Township in Dauphin County · population 1,067 (2020 Census)

Map: where Williams is in PennsylvaniaWilliams
Median home
$152,000
Household income
$78,182
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 84°
Snow a year
28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
6
Median age
44.2

Williams is a township of 1,067 people in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $152,000, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more walkable than 73% of Pennsylvania towns, better for first-time buyers than 73% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Williams 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.

Williams lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement4th pctFamilies4th pctQuiet36th pctWalkability73rd pctFirst-time buyers73rd pctYoung professionals53rd pctVibrancy60th pctHip & trendy66th pctCollege town4th pctUpscale12th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit67th pctDriving34th 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 Williams is worth $152,000, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $78,182, which is more affordable than 91% of Pennsylvania towns. 85.8% of households own their home.

Williams vs Dauphin County vs typical Pennsylvania townWilliamsDauphin CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$152,000$236,400$214,250Household income$78,182$76,242$75,278
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingWilliamsTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$152,000$214,250
Median rent—$996
Median household income$78,182$75,278
Home value ÷ income1.9×2.8×
Homeownership85.8%81.5%
Median year built19501971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Williams

PeopleWilliamsTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age44.244.2
Age 65 and over20.1%21.1%
Under 1818.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher18.2%23.8%
Below the poverty line16.7%8.5%
Veterans7.5%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home6.5%10.6%
Average commute38.9 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband91.7%89.0%

Weather in Williams

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 20.0°F. About 50.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.4 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 128 nights at or below freezing.

Williams monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°20°Jan40°21°Feb49°28°Mar61°37°Apr71°47°May79°56°Jun84°60°Jul82°59°Aug75°52°Sep64°41°Oct52°32°Nov42°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.68.62.88.23.95.64.50.64.44.95.04.35.64.50.23.31.04.04.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Dehart Dam station (10.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Williams since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 12, 1953 about 4.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 18, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Williams by decade41950s01960s11970s01980s01990s02000s02010s12020s
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 11 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 28, 2019.

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 Williams itself the ACS puts it at 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 Williams

Williams questions

Is Williams, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Williams scores better for retirees than 4% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 36%. 20.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.2).

How much does a house cost in Williams?

The median owner-occupied home in Williams is valued at $152,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,182, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Williams?

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 20.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.9 inches of precipitation a year and 28.4 inches of snow.

Does Williams get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Williams since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 12, 1953. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Williams's Census boundary (GEOID 4204385232). 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.