© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Pennsylvania
Hershey
Population 14,242
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Pennsylvania
Columbia
Population 10,278
Hershey, PA vs Columbia, PA
Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.
| Metric | Hershey, PA | Columbia, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,242 | 10,278 |
| Median Household Income | $78,587 | $54,437 |
| Median Rent | $1,268/mo | $1,075/mo |
| Median Home Value | $379,200 | $196,500 |
| Cost of Living (US = 100) | 99 | 98 |
| Renters Paying 30%+ of Income | 42.2% | 56.9% |
| Poverty Rate | 17.6% | 21.4% |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4% (county) | 3.4% (county) |
| Violent Crime Rate /100k | 111* | 182 |
| Property Crime Rate /100k | 807* | 1,263 |
| Median AQI | 44 | 45 |
| Good AQI Days /yr | 228 | 221 |
| Summer Highs | 85°F | 83°F |
| Winter Lows | 25°F | 21°F |
| Snowfall | 30 in/yr | 23 in/yr |
| Avg Commute | 16.2 min | 23.7 min |
| Hospitals | 1 | — |
| Avg Hospital Rating | 4.0 / 5 | — |
| Students per Teacher | 12.5 | 12.8 |
| College Degree Rate | 50.2% | 17.4% |
| Foreign-Born % | 13.1% | 3.4% |
| Population Growth (2020–2025) | -2.2% | +0.9% |
Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Hershey (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.