Dauphin County (/ˈdɔːfɪn/; Pennsylvania Dutch: Daffin Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 286,401.[2] The county seat and the largest city is Harrisburg,[3] Pennsylvania's state capital and ninth largest city. The county was created ("erected") on March 4, 1785, from part of Lancaster County and was named after Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France,[4] the first son of King Louis XVI.
Dauphin County | |
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U.S. county | |
![]() Dauphin County Courthouse | |
![]() Flag | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania | |
![]() Pennsylvania's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 40°25′N 76°47′W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | March 4, 1785 |
Named for | Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France |
Seat | Harrisburg |
Largest city | Harrisburg |
Area | |
• Total | 558 sq mi (1,450 km2) |
• Land | 525 sq mi (1,360 km2) |
• Water | 33 sq mi (90 km2) 5.9%% |
Population | |
• Estimate (2021) | 287,400 |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 10th |
Website | www |
Pennsylvania Historical Marker | |
Designated | December 9, 1982[1] |
Dauphin County is included in the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Located within the county is Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, site of the 1979 nuclear core meltdown. The nuclear power plant closed in 2019.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 558 square miles (1,450 km2), of which 525 square miles (1,360 km2) is land and 33 square miles (85 km2) (5.9%) is water.[5] The county is bound to its western border by the Susquehanna River (with the exception of a small peninsula next to Duncannon). The area code is 717 with an overlay of 223.
Most of the county by area has a humid continental climate (Dfa except for some Dfb in highlands.) The inclusion of temperature numbers for the past decade shows some lower areas including Harrisburg to have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa.) The hardiness zone ranges from 6a to 7a.
Climate data for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Harrisburg Int'l), 1991–2020 normals,[lower-alpha 1] extremes 1888–present[lower-alpha 2] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 73 (23) |
79 (26) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
100 (38) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
84 (29) |
75 (24) |
107 (42) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 60 (16) |
61 (16) |
73 (23) |
83 (28) |
89 (32) |
93 (34) |
96 (36) |
94 (34) |
90 (32) |
81 (27) |
71 (22) |
62 (17) |
96 (36) |
Average high °F (°C) | 38.6 (3.7) |
42.0 (5.6) |
51.3 (10.7) |
63.8 (17.7) |
73.7 (23.2) |
82.4 (28.0) |
86.8 (30.4) |
84.7 (29.3) |
77.6 (25.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
53.9 (12.2) |
43.3 (6.3) |
63.6 (17.6) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.8 (−0.7) |
33.4 (0.8) |
41.8 (5.4) |
53.2 (11.8) |
63.4 (17.4) |
72.5 (22.5) |
77.3 (25.2) |
75.2 (24.0) |
67.9 (19.9) |
55.8 (13.2) |
44.8 (7.1) |
35.8 (2.1) |
54.3 (12.4) |
Average low °F (°C) | 23.0 (−5.0) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
32.3 (0.2) |
42.5 (5.8) |
53.1 (11.7) |
62.7 (17.1) |
67.8 (19.9) |
65.8 (18.8) |
58.2 (14.6) |
46.0 (7.8) |
35.8 (2.1) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
45.0 (7.2) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 7 (−14) |
10 (−12) |
18 (−8) |
29 (−2) |
40 (4) |
51 (11) |
58 (14) |
56 (13) |
45 (7) |
33 (1) |
23 (−5) |
15 (−9) |
5 (−15) |
Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) |
−13 (−25) |
−1 (−18) |
11 (−12) |
30 (−1) |
40 (4) |
49 (9) |
45 (7) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
10 (−12) |
−8 (−22) |
−22 (−30) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.03 (77) |
2.59 (66) |
3.70 (94) |
3.55 (90) |
3.83 (97) |
3.98 (101) |
4.74 (120) |
3.77 (96) |
4.83 (123) |
3.81 (97) |
2.97 (75) |
3.43 (87) |
44.23 (1,123) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.1 (23) |
9.4 (24) |
5.6 (14) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.8 (2.0) |
4.4 (11) |
29.9 (76) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.9 | 10.4 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 13.0 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 10.3 | 126.3 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.1 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 16.3 |
Average ultraviolet index | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Source 1: NOAA[7][8] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV data)[9] |
Climate data for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Harrisburg Capital City Airport) 1991-2020 normals (Records 1939-2021) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 73 (23) |
83 (28) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
100 (38) |
107 (42) |
101 (38) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
84 (29) |
75 (24) |
107 (42) |
Average high °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
43.2 (6.2) |
52.6 (11.4) |
64.9 (18.3) |
74.7 (23.7) |
83.2 (28.4) |
87.6 (30.9) |
85.4 (29.7) |
78.6 (25.9) |
66.7 (19.3) |
55.1 (12.8) |
44.4 (6.9) |
64.7 (18.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 32.6 (0.3) |
34.7 (1.5) |
43.2 (6.2) |
54.1 (12.3) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.0 (22.8) |
77.5 (25.3) |
75.4 (24.1) |
68.5 (20.3) |
56.7 (13.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
37.0 (2.8) |
55.2 (12.9) |
Average low °F (°C) | 24.9 (−3.9) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
33.9 (1.1) |
43.3 (6.3) |
53.2 (11.8) |
62.8 (17.1) |
67.4 (19.7) |
65.5 (18.6) |
58.4 (14.7) |
46.7 (8.2) |
37.0 (2.8) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
45.7 (7.6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −9 (−23) |
−5 (−21) |
2 (−17) |
19 (−7) |
31 (−1) |
40 (4) |
49 (9) |
45 (7) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
13 (−11) |
−8 (−22) |
−9 (−23) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.64 (67) |
2.36 (60) |
3.35 (85) |
3.70 (94) |
3.48 (88) |
3.72 (94) |
4.30 (109) |
3.68 (93) |
4.12 (105) |
3.68 (93) |
2.80 (71) |
3.15 (80) |
40.98 (1,041) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 127 |
Source: NOAA[10] |
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1790 | 18,155 | — | |
1800 | 22,270 | 22.7% | |
1810 | 31,883 | 43.2% | |
1820 | 21,653 | −32.1% | |
1830 | 25,243 | 16.6% | |
1840 | 30,118 | 19.3% | |
1850 | 35,754 | 18.7% | |
1860 | 46,756 | 30.8% | |
1870 | 60,740 | 29.9% | |
1880 | 76,148 | 25.4% | |
1890 | 96,977 | 27.4% | |
1900 | 114,443 | 18.0% | |
1910 | 136,152 | 19.0% | |
1920 | 153,116 | 12.5% | |
1930 | 165,231 | 7.9% | |
1940 | 177,410 | 7.4% | |
1950 | 197,784 | 11.5% | |
1960 | 220,255 | 11.4% | |
1970 | 223,834 | 1.6% | |
1980 | 232,317 | 3.8% | |
1990 | 237,813 | 2.4% | |
2000 | 251,805 | 5.9% | |
2010 | 268,100 | 6.5% | |
2020 | 286,401 | 6.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14]2010,<[15] 2020[2] |
![]() | This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Newer information is available from the 2020 Census report. (September 2021) |
As of the 2010 census, the county was 72.7% White, 18.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.2% Asian, and 3.1% were two or more races. 7.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.
As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 251,798 people, 102,670 households, and 66,119 families residing in the county. The population density was 479 people per square mile (185/km2). There were 111,133 housing units at an average density of 212 per square mile (82/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.11% White, 16.91% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.96% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.97% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races. 4.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.2% were of German, 7.5% Irish, 7.3% American and 7.2% Italian ancestry. 91.8% spoke English and 3.9% Spanish as their first language.
According to 2005 estimates, 73.9% of the county's population was non-Hispanic whites. 17.8% of the population was African-Americans. 2.5% were Asians. Latinos now were 5.0% of the population.[17]
In 2000 there were 102,670 households, out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.60% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.
A study by Echelon Insights found Dauphin County to be the most typical county in America, with its 2016 presidential vote, median income, higher education rate, and religiosity all very close to the national averages.[18]
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (NH) | 175,175 | 61.16% |
Black or African American (NH) | 48,404 | 17% |
Native American (NH) | 396 | 0.14% |
Asian (NH) | 17,183 | 6% |
Pacific Islander (NH) | 88 | 0.03% |
Other/Mixed (NH) | 13,904 | 4.85% |
Hispanic or Latino | 31,251 | 11% |
Dauphin County is home to an Amish community that resides in the Lykens Valley in the northern part of the county, consisting of eight church districts. The community was settled by Amish from Lancaster County seeking cheaper land.[20]
The United States Office of Management and Budget[21] has designated Dauphin County as the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. Census[22] the metropolitan area ranked 5th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 96th most populous in the United States with a population of 549,475. Dauphin County is also a part of the larger Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Dauphin County as well as Adams, Cumberland, Lebanon, Perry and York Counties in Pennsylvania. The Combined Statistical Area ranked 5th in the State of Pennsylvania and 43rd most populous in the United States with a population of 1,219,422.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 66,408 | 44.90% | 78,983 | 53.40% | 2,510 | 1.70% |
2016 | 60,863 | 46.18% | 64,706 | 49.10% | 6,214 | 4.72% |
2012 | 57,450 | 46.22% | 64,965 | 52.26% | 1,886 | 1.52% |
2008 | 58,238 | 44.85% | 69,975 | 53.89% | 1,632 | 1.26% |
2004 | 65,296 | 53.87% | 55,299 | 45.62% | 613 | 0.51% |
2000 | 53,631 | 53.28% | 44,390 | 44.10% | 2,637 | 2.62% |
1996 | 44,417 | 47.78% | 40,936 | 44.03% | 7,618 | 8.19% |
1992 | 45,479 | 45.98% | 36,990 | 37.40% | 16,441 | 16.62% |
1988 | 48,917 | 57.77% | 35,079 | 41.43% | 681 | 0.80% |
1984 | 54,330 | 61.28% | 33,576 | 37.87% | 752 | 0.85% |
1980 | 44,039 | 56.18% | 27,252 | 34.77% | 7,096 | 9.05% |
1976 | 46,819 | 56.33% | 34,342 | 41.32% | 1,961 | 2.36% |
1972 | 54,307 | 69.38% | 22,587 | 28.86% | 1,376 | 1.76% |
1968 | 48,394 | 59.17% | 25,480 | 31.15% | 7,914 | 9.68% |
1964 | 42,718 | 47.77% | 46,119 | 51.57% | 594 | 0.66% |
1960 | 61,726 | 64.22% | 33,962 | 35.33% | 427 | 0.44% |
1956 | 61,342 | 67.45% | 29,226 | 32.14% | 375 | 0.41% |
1952 | 58,385 | 65.12% | 30,985 | 34.56% | 286 | 0.32% |
1948 | 46,861 | 62.16% | 27,729 | 36.78% | 796 | 1.06% |
1944 | 44,725 | 59.05% | 30,684 | 40.51% | 333 | 0.44% |
1940 | 42,394 | 52.35% | 38,305 | 47.30% | 282 | 0.35% |
1936 | 39,598 | 47.42% | 43,256 | 51.80% | 644 | 0.77% |
1932 | 36,278 | 60.31% | 22,412 | 37.26% | 1,462 | 2.43% |
1928 | 49,108 | 83.78% | 9,115 | 15.55% | 394 | 0.67% |
1924 | 27,838 | 68.04% | 9,004 | 22.01% | 4,074 | 9.96% |
1920 | 26,094 | 65.36% | 11,990 | 30.03% | 1,839 | 4.61% |
1916 | 13,954 | 52.16% | 11,483 | 42.92% | 1,315 | 4.92% |
1912 | 6,012 | 23.29% | 7,470 | 28.93% | 12,337 | 47.78% |
1908 | 15,637 | 63.38% | 7,546 | 30.59% | 1,488 | 6.03% |
1904 | 16,508 | 72.61% | 5,040 | 22.17% | 1,186 | 5.22% |
1900 | 14,673 | 64.23% | 7,390 | 32.35% | 783 | 3.43% |
1896 | 14,752 | 66.84% | 6,584 | 29.83% | 733 | 3.32% |
1892 | 11,010 | 57.47% | 7,520 | 39.25% | 627 | 3.27% |
1888 | 10,852 | 57.66% | 7,684 | 40.82% | 286 | 1.52% |
1884 | 9,394 | 58.46% | 6,378 | 39.69% | 298 | 1.85% |
1880 | 8,573 | 55.21% | 6,619 | 42.62% | 337 | 2.17% |
Dauphin County was historically a Republican stronghold, like most of south-central Pennsylvania. It was long one of the more conservative urban counties in the nation, having only supported a Democrat for president twice from 1880 to 2004. However, there has been a decided shift toward the Democrats in national and statewide elections in recent years. This culminated when the Democrats overtook the Republicans in countywide registration during the summer of 2008. As of November 1, 2021, 45.5% of registered voters in the county were Democrats, 38.9% Republicans, and 15.5% other party/non-affiliated.[24] Bob Casey Jr. carried the county in the 2006 Senate election when he unseated Rick Santorum. According to the Dauphin County Board of Elections, in 2008 Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Dauphin County since 1964, receiving 9.0% more of the vote than John McCain.[25] It was also only the third time Dauphin County had supported a Democrat for president since 1936. Obama won Dauphin with a slightly reduced majority in 2012, while Hillary Clinton won it with a narrow plurality in 2016. It is now the only blue county in the traditionally powerfully Republican Susquehanna Valley.
Nonetheless, the GOP still holds all of the county row offices, as well as a majority on the county commission. All but one state house seat is in Republican hands, as well as both of the state senate seats and the congressional seat. Most local elected officials are also Republican, by a margin of 3 to 1. This is because most of the Democratic gains have been in already heavily Democratic Harrisburg, which has had a Democratic mayor since 1982 and has been represented in the state house by a Democrat since 1975. In contrast, the suburbs and rural areas remain some of the most Republican areas in Pennsylvania.
Party registration stats according to the Secretary of State's office:
Dauphin County Voter Registration Statistics as of November 7, 2022[26] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Political Party | Total Voters | Percentage | |||
Democratic | 88,154 | 45.22% | |||
Republican | 75,049 | 38.50% | |||
No party affiliation | 23,331 | 11.97% | |||
Minor parties | 8,407 | 4.31% | |||
Total | 194,941 | 100.00% |
Senator | Party |
---|---|
Bob Casey | Democrat |
Pat Toomey | Republican |
School districts include:[29]
Several public charter schools are established in Dauphin County [30]
The Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 is a state approved education agency that offers: school districts, charter schools, private schools, and home school students, a variety of services including: a completely developed K–12 curriculum that is mapped and aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards (available online), shared services, a group purchasing program and a wide variety of special education and special needs services.
The Dauphin County Library System provides library service to the residents of the county through a main central library in the state capital and county seat of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and eight branch libraries. DCLS is a private, non-profit corporation. It is governed by a 17-member Board of Trustees, five appointed annually by the Dauphin County Commissioners, and twelve elected for three-year terms. The Library is a member of the Pennsylvania library system.
As reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics[31]
The largest employers in Dauphin County in 2019 were:[32]
There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Dauphin County.
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Dauphin County:
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Dauphin County.[22]
† county seat
Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | † Harrisburg (State Capital) | City | 49,528 |
2 | Hershey | CDP | 14,257 |
3 | Colonial Park | CDP | 13,229 |
4 | Progress | CDP | 9,765 |
5 | Middletown | Borough | 8,901 |
6 | Linglestown | CDP | 6,334 |
7 | Steelton | Borough | 5,990 |
8 | Paxtonia | CDP | 5,412 |
9 | Hummelstown | Borough | 4,538 |
10 | Rutherford | CDP | 4,303 |
11 | Skyline View | CDP | 4,003 |
12 | Lawnton | CDP | 3,813 |
13 | Penbrook | Borough | 3,008 |
14 | Millersburg | Borough | 2,557 |
15 | Highspire | Borough | 2,399 |
16 | Lykens | Borough | 1,799 |
17 | Paxtang | Borough | 1,561 |
18 | Elizabethville | Borough | 1,510 |
19 | Bressler | CDP | 1,437 |
20 | Williamstown | Borough | 1,387 |
21 | Palmdale | CDP | 1,308 |
22 | Enhaut | CDP | 1,007 |
23 | Wiconsico | CDP | 921 |
24 | Royalton | Borough | 907 |
25 | Halifax | Borough | 841 |
26 | Dauphin | Borough | 791 |
27 | Gratz | Borough | 765 |
28 | Oberlin | CDP | 588 |
29 | Lenkerville | CDP | 550 |
30 | Union Deposit | CDP | 407 |
31 | Berrysburg | Borough | 368 |
32 | Pillow | Borough | 298 |
Municipalities and communities of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
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County seat: Harrisburg | ||
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