Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Housing Market Prices
Dauphin County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 13% below the Pennsylvania median$131,945
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Median rent 1% above the Pennsylvania median More expensive than 83% of counties in Pennsylvania$1,217
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $131,945 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 1.2% | 3.7% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,217 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.4% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Dauphin County is about 13% lower than in Pennsylvania. Rent is about 1% higher than the Pennsylvania average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Dauphin County, up about 1.2% and 4.4% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Dauphin County rose about 43.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $847 to $1,217. Over the same span, rent in Pennsylvania rose about 43.9%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.7 yearly household incomes in Dauphin County.
Buying the median-priced home in Dauphin County costs roughly 9.0 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Dauphin County. The price-to-rent ratio in Pennsylvania is about 10.5.
| Metric | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $131,945 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $76,316 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Dauphin County fell about 3.7%, while median household income rose about 42.7% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 59.9% | 63.0% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 35.1% | 27.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 5.1% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2009 | 2011 |
Dauphin County has a homeownership rate of 59.9%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%. Its housing vacancy rate is 5.1%, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Dauphin County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.33 people | 2.39 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1975 | 1966 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Dauphin County was built around 1975. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Dauphin County, PA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Dauphin County, PA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 289,538 residents against a local median of 90,556. The measure that sets Dauphin County, PA apart most is median home price: $131,945, 34% above the local median of $98,577.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $1,217 against a local median of $929, 31% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is homeownership, and at 17% below the local median it puts Dauphin County, PA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $155,533 on median home price, so Dauphin County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dauphin County, PA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dauphin County, PA | 289,538 | $131,945 #3/6 | $1,217 #1/6 | 63.1% #6/6 |
| Lebanon County, PA | 144,187 | $144,003 | $1,109 | 71.3% |
| Northumberland County, PA | 90,556 | $86,986 | $806 | 75.5% |
| Snyder County, PA | 39,662 | $48,253 | $929 | 75.6% |
| Perry County, PA | 46,229 | $98,577 | $873 | 81.8% |
| York County, PA | 462,883 | $203,786 | $1,192 | 76.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
What is the median home price in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
The median home price in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania is $131,945, lower than the Pennsylvania average of $152,469.
What is the average home price in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
The typical home price in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, reported as the median sale price, is $131,945. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
The median gross rent in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania is $1,217 per month, higher than the Pennsylvania average of $1,208.
What was the median gross rent in Dauphin County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania was $965 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
The price-to-rent ratio in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania is about 9.0, meaning it would take roughly 9.0 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Dauphin County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Dauphin County, up about 1.2% and 4.4% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
59.9% of households in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania own their home, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%.
What is the vacancy rate in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
The housing vacancy rate in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania is 5.1%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 9.1%.
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