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Harrisburg, PA

Enola is part of the Harrisburg area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Harrisburg

Broad Street Market Stone Market House
Broad Street Market Stone Market House · Photo: Meredith, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dauphin County Courthouse
Dauphin County Courthouse · Photo: Niagara, CC BY-SA 3.0
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River · Photo: Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA, CC BY 2.0
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Capital Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Capital Building · Photo: kev72, CC BY 2.0
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Capitol Building · Photo: kev72, CC BY 2.0
Harrisburg Market Square and City Government Center
Harrisburg Market Square and City Government Center · Photo: Chen Wu, CC BY 2.0
Harrisburg Transportation Center, Sept
Harrisburg Transportation Center, Sept · Photo: Niagara, CC BY-SA 3.0
Harrisburg and Susquehanna River Aerial June
Harrisburg and Susquehanna River Aerial June · Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0
Pennsylvania State Capitol east side April
Pennsylvania State Capitol east side April · Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pride of Susquehanna
Pride of Susquehanna · Photo: David Flores, CC BY 2.0
Walnut street
Walnut street · Photo: Rob Tucher, Public domain
Walnut street walking bridge at dusk
Walnut street walking bridge at dusk · Photo: Paul Vasiliades from Hershey, Pa, CC BY 2.0
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Where it is
Harrisburg
Harrisburg in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Harrisburg area.

24
grocery stores
167
restaurants
27
coffee shops
135
parks
156
playgrounds
7
libraries
5
movie theaters
6
live theaters
7
museums
12
bookstores
18
gyms
48
bars
14
pharmacies
4
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Harrisburg area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
36 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
91 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 74,306 rented homes in the Harrisburg area, 93% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 36%
$1,000 to $1,499: 38%
$1,500 to $1,999: 19%
$2,000 to $2,499: 4%
$2,500 to $2,999: 1%
$3,000 or more: 1%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Harrisburg area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $2,000 to $2,998 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in Pennsylvania

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Pennsylvania DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Pennsylvania voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

11 public school districts in this county, with about 35,933 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Central Dauphin Sd · Harrisburg
12,479 students · 15.1 students per teacher · 19 schools · grades K to 12
Harrisburg City Sd · Harrisburg
6,404 students · 15 students per teacher · 12 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Susquehanna Township Sd · Harrisburg
3,062 students · 16.4 students per teacher · 4 schools · grades K to 12
Lower Dauphin Sd · Hummelstown
3,470 students · 12.8 students per teacher · 8 schools · grades K to 12
Derry Township Sd · Hershey
3,165 students · 12.5 students per teacher · 5 schools · grades K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Pennsylvania keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Search licensed childcare in Pennsylvania →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

6 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Harrisburg. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Harrisburg Area Community College · Harrisburg
Public, 2-year (community college) · 12,880 students · $7,373 in-district, $11,400 out-of-state
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg · Middletown
Public, 4-year · 4,651 students · $15,944 in-state, $26,668 out-of-state
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology · Harrisburg
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 3,558 students · $23,900 a year
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · Shippensburg (metro)
Public, 4-year · 5,184 students · $13,394 in-state, $15,648 out-of-state
Messiah University · Mechanicsburg (metro)
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 3,344 students · $40,640 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$311,783
What a typical home sells for across the Harrisburg area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 1% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $99 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 98.7 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 1 hr 30 min at rush hour
To downtown Baltimore, MD, 88 miles. About 1 hr 29 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
23 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $1,529 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in PA. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
4 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
15.7 per 100,000 people a year
46 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. PA average: 21 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 11.8 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 347 people without housing in the Harrisburg/Dauphin County area: 207 in shelters and 140 outside, down from 382 in 2024. PA: 11.3 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$74,159
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.43% of home value a year
About $1,430 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Flat 3.07%
PA's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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