Housing data for Lower Swatara Township, PA
Lower Swatara Township, PA has an estimated 9,796 residents and 4,170 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a township in Dauphin County.
12.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $962 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+10.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 9,796 (±21)
- Housing units
- 4,170 (±251)
- Households that rent
- 12.9%
- Median gross rent
- $962
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +10.9%
What stands out in Lower Swatara Township
Households that rent: 12.9% (±5.0 points) in Lower Swatara Township, lower than in Dauphin County (36.9%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 3.1% (±2.6 points) in Lower Swatara Township, lower than in Dauphin County (17.4%).
Households without a vehicle: 2.0% (±1.9 points) in Lower Swatara Township, lower than in Dauphin County (9.4%).
Homes heated by fuel oil: 9.4% (±3.2 points) in Lower Swatara Township, lower than in Dauphin County (15.5%).
- Renters and owners in Lower Swatara Township
- Types of homes in Lower Swatara Township
- Commute and cars in Lower Swatara Township
- Heating fuel in Lower Swatara Township
Housing in Lower Swatara Township at a glance
- Median rent: $962 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,545 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 63.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 12.9% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $87,163 median household income
- Home values: $234,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,800 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,867 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 3.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 76.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 45.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 18.7% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 46.7% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 21.9 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 207 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +10.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 17.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room
- Fair Market Rent: $1,550 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 17057)
Lower Swatara Township against Dauphin County, its state and the nation
| Lower Swatara Township | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,796 (±21) | 289,593 (exact) | 13,018,639 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,170 (±251) | 127,828 (±159) | 5,806,452 (±672) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 12.9% (±5.0 points) | 36.9% (±0.9 points) | 30.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $962 (±$313) | $1,217 (±$26) | $1,209 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $87,163 (±$10,270) | $76,242 (±$1,935) | $77,971 (±$342) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $234,600 (±$22,101) | $236,400 (±$3,814) | $254,500 (±$767) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,867 (±$576) | $3,198 (±$61) | $3,311 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 45.6% (±10.2 points) | 61.8% (±1.7 points) | 67.3% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.9 minutes (±2.3) | 21.5 minutes (±0.5) | 26.3 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.7% (±4.1 points) | 90.3% (±0.8 points) | 89.7% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 43.6 years (±4.6) | 39.4 years (±0.3) | 40.9 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Lower Swatara Township covers 12.3 square miles of land, about 796 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Lower Swatara Township has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8,837 (±26) | 9,796 (±21) | +10.9% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 3,894 (±222) | 4,170 (±251) | +7.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $942 (±$157) | $962 (±$313) | +2.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $150,600 (±$11,420) | $234,600 (±$22,101) | +55.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $67,313 (±$5,666) | $87,163 (±$10,270) | +29.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,318 (±$83) | $1,800 (±$100) | +36.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,315 (±$231) | $3,867 (±$576) | +16.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 12.1% (±3.7 points) | 12.9% (±5.0 points) | +0.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.6% (±10.0 points) | 18.7% (±15.9 points) | +11.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Lower Swatara Township
In 2025, the Lower Swatara Township Police Department reported 207 violent and 355 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Dauphin County, the departments that report recorded 250 violent and 1,087 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Lower Swatara Township
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17057 | 37% | 23,560 | $1,198 | $201,600 | $73,407 |
| 17034 | 11% | 3,071 | $1,041 | $146,300 | $52,700 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Lower Swatara Township
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highspire | 1.6 mi | $1,041 | $144,700 | 61.2% |
| Middletown | 1.9 mi | $1,234 | $161,600 | 57.4% |
| Royalton | 2.9 mi | $1,106 | $166,300 | 26.2% |
| Swatara Township (Dauphin County) | 3.1 mi | $1,252 | $214,400 | 30.1% |
| Bressler | 3.3 mi | $1,343 | $173,400 | 15.1% |
| Rutherford | 3.6 mi | $1,155 | $214,200 | 25.2% |
| Steelton | 3.6 mi | $1,289 | $134,800 | 51.7% |
| Enhaut | 3.7 mi | — | $155,900 | 4.4% |
Places in Pennsylvania most like Lower Swatara Township
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Stone Township | $964 | $218,500 | $87,292 | 12.1% |
| Schlusser | $975 | $241,000 | $92,234 | 18.2% |
| Landisville | $992 | $280,900 | $88,148 | 13.2% |
| Girard Township (Erie County) | $881 | $204,600 | $95,461 | 10.4% |
| Lamar Township | $1,103 | $248,000 | $92,188 | 15.6% |
| Silver Lake Township | $978 | $280,200 | $87,083 | 11.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Pennsylvania.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Lower Swatara Township, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,166 | $1,285 | $1,598 | $2,055 | $2,100 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Lower Swatara Township, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,000 | $38,300 | $61,250 |
| 2 people | $26,250 | $43,750 | $70,000 |
| 3 people | $29,550 | $49,200 | $78,750 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $54,650 | $87,450 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $59,050 | $94,450 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $63,400 | $101,450 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $67,800 | $108,450 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $72,150 | $115,450 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $109,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Lower Swatara Township
What is the average rent in Lower Swatara Township, PA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Lower Swatara Township is $962 (±$313) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a two-bedroom apartment in Lower Swatara Township?
The median gross rent for a two-bedroom home in Lower Swatara Township, PA is $1,545 (±$658) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Lower Swatara Township rent-burdened?
63.1% of renting households in Lower Swatara Township pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Lower Swatara Township?
Lower Swatara Township has an estimated 502 (±193) renting households, 12.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Lower Swatara Township?
The median household income in Lower Swatara Township is $87,163 (±$10,270) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Lower Swatara Township, PA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $234,600 (±$22,101) for owner-occupied homes in Lower Swatara Township (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Lower Swatara Township growing?
In Lower Swatara Township, the number of residents went from 8,837 in 2015–2019 to 9,796 in 2020–2024 (+10.9%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Lower Swatara Township?
The ZIP codes that cover Lower Swatara Township are 17057, 17034.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 17057?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 17057 is $1,198 (±$68) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Lower Swatara Township Police Department (ORI PA0221700)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (county subdivision:45120, in state:42 county:043).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .