Ranked by Niche as the best place to live in Dauphin County, Hershey is a charming unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Hershey is known for being the home to The Hershey Company – one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. Hershey is accessible via Harrisburg International Airport, approximately 12 miles to the southwest.  

What is the community of Hershey like?  

Part of the Harrisburg−Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, Hershey is home to around 14,200 residents and spans over four constituent neighborhoods, making it the 68th largest community in Pennsylvania.  

Located just 14 miles east of Harrisburg – the capital city of the state of Pennsylvania – Hershey is known for chocolates, although, you’ll have a lot more to do in this lovely small town than satisfying your sweet tooth. Built in 1907, Hersheypark is one of the top attractions in Hershey and features a water park, roller coasters, and more than 70 rides and entertainment attractions.  

Visitors to Hersheypark love the Boardwalk, which is adored for its waterslides, a children's area, a tidal wave pool, and a seven-story water attraction to keep your adrenaline pumping. Visitors can also enjoy singing and dancing performances taking place in venues throughout the park.  

No visit to Hershey can be complete without stopping by the renowned Hershey’s Chocolate World – a place to explore everything chocolate. You can participate in the popular Chocolate Tasting Experience, where food experts teach you how to discern the tastes of various kinds of chocolate. Should you find it hard to resist your creative impulses, you can take part in one of the most fascinating things to do at the Hershey Chocolate World - creating your own candy bar. You select your ingredients, taste test, and design your own candy packaging. 

Once done with indulging on chocolates, you can head to the breathtaking Hershey Gardens, which opened in 1937 and has been pleasing visitors with unique floral experiences since then. Sprawling over 23 acres, this gorgeous botanical garden faces the town of Hershey and features a wonderful collection of rare trees and shrubs, themed gardens, and elegant seasonal flower displays.  

Being true to the region’s passion for cars, Hershey is home to the ACA Museum, which is dedicated to the preservation of vintage automobiles and highlighting their rich history and heritage. The museum houses an incredible collection of vintage cars, buses, and motorcycles, with some tracing their origin as far back as the 1890s. 

What is Real Estate like in Hershey?     

Real estate in Hershey has shown an average growth of 3.09% per year since the year 2000. Besides, since 2000, the prices of homes in Hershey have overall appreciated by a strong 89.43%. National real estate firm Berkshire Hathaway categorizes Hershey’s housing market as ‘very competitive’. The sale prices of homes in Hershey have experienced strong growth of more than 21.1% since May last year.   

The median home price in Hershey is around $300,000. Currently, there are 66 active homes for sale in Hershey, and normally it takes 52 days for a listed home to sell. 

How is the economic landscape of Hershey?    

Over the last year, Hershey’s job market has grown by 0.3%, while the city’s job market is expected to grow by 26.4% over the next ten years.  

On average, a Hershey resident earns around $35,500 per annum, decently higher than the US average of $28,500. The city’s median household income of almost $54,100 per resident is also greater than the US average of approximately $53000. Most of the residents of Hershey work in educational services, accommodation, public administration, manufacturing retail, finance, professional and technical services, and healthcare.   

How are the schools in Hershey?     

Hershey is covered by 3 school districts, with Derry Township School District being the city’s major school district encompassing 5 schools and 3,468 enrolled students. Besides, Hershey also lies in proximity to many colleges including, among others, Lebanon Valley College, Elizabethtown College, and Harrisburg Area Community College. 

When it comes to higher education, Hershey lies in proximity to many universities such as the University of Phoenix Harrisburg Campus and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. 

In addition, Hershey lies less than two hours’ drive away from Pennsylvania’s most prestigious higher educational institution – the University of Pennsylvania. Founded in 1740, UPenn is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the U.S. Declaration of Independence with its founder and the first president being the great Benjamin Franklin. Today, UPenn has four undergraduate schools as well as twelve graduate and professional schools, including the famous Wharton School of Business.  

Hershey in a nutshell        

To sum up, Hershey is a cozy, small-town offering a close-knit community living just a stone-throw away from the capital city of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Known for chocolates, Hershey plays home to prolific museums, exciting festivals, breathtaking parks, and great schools. If you are mulling over moving to Pennsylvania and prefer small-town settings, Hershey would make an excellent place to call home.