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Dauphin County, PA: population growth, jobs and income

Dauphin County gained 434 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.1%).

Dauphin County had an estimated 293,351 residents in 2025, up 2.3% (6,657 more people) since 2020. That is faster than Pennsylvania as a whole (+0.5%), and the 13th fastest growth of 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Dauphin County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Dauphin County, ranked against Pennsylvania and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$1,217/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes5.1%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months5682025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 1,112 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 157,994 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +5.8% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.4% in 2025, 0.5 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 329 new homes in 2025, or 1.1 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $76,242 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +20.8% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,181st.

Part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area.

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Dauphin County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
2025293,351+434
2024292,917+1,970
2023290,947+2,004
2022288,943+659
2021288,284+1,590
2020286,694–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Dauphin County

Dauphin County grew by 6,657 people since 2020 even though 1,733 more residents moved to other U.S. counties than came from them: births outnumbered deaths by 1,893, and net international migration added 6,547.

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+558+1,893
International migrationfrom and to other countries+976+6,547
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−1,112−1,733
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+12−50
Total change+434+6,657

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn PennsylvaniaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth13th of 671,181st of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents60th of 672,438th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth13th of 671,116th of 3,092
Median household income22nd of 67760th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate29th of 672,048th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents41st of 672,017th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Dauphin County, PA as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Dauphin County's population change (+2.3%) was ahead of 6 of its 8 neighbouring counties and behind 2 (York County and Cumberland County).

5 of its 8 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Dauphin County's $76,242 (2020–24).

Dauphin County, PA and its 8 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Dauphin County, PA This county293,351+2.3%−3.81.1$76,242
Lebanon County, PA146,380+2.2%5.93.7$78,425
York County, PA473,197+3.6%5.33.4$84,829
Perry County, PA46,806+2.1%5.62.7$79,444
Northumberland County, PA89,920−1.8%3.40.3$60,583
Cumberland County, PA277,270+6.5%7.72.7$87,494
Juniata County, PA23,403−0.3%−4.41.3$66,318
Lancaster County, PA563,159+1.9%−2.32.3$86,959
Schuylkill County, PA145,085+1.5%8.71.5$68,313

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 67 Pennsylvania counties · Every state

Questions

Is Dauphin County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 2.3% between 2020 and 2025, about 6,657 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Pennsylvania as a whole changed +0.5% over the same years. That ranks 13th of 67 counties in Pennsylvania for population growth.

How many people moved to Dauphin County?

On net, none in 2025: about 1,112 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Dauphin County?

It averaged 4.4% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Dauphin County?

About 293,351 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Dauphin County?

Private employers there had 157,994 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +5.8% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Pennsylvania

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Pennsylvania county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Dauphin County data alerts

Email me when Dauphin County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Dauphin County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.