CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.80° N · 77.02° W · GEOID 4246376

McSherrystown

Adams County, Pennsylvania · part of the Gettysburg, PA metro

Limited data population under 5,000

PennsylvaniaMcSherrystown, PAMcSherrystownMcSherrystown

The short answer

McSherrystown is home to 3,114 people. Median household income is $61,159 a year and median rent is $1,387 a month, 27.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $176,100, about 2.9x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,387
2% above the median place
Median household income
$61,159
24% below the median place
Median home value
$176,100
45% below the median place
Unemployment
3.4%
31% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about McSherrystown

  • 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 95% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • The median resident is 31 years old, younger than in 93% of places its size.
  • Renters occupy 52% of homes, more than in 92% of places its size.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 8.7% a year while household income rose 4.1%, so rent outran pay by more than in 87% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes 27.2% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 90% of places its size.
01

Moving to McSherrystown

Adams County gains about 9.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,746
Moved out3,867
Net+879

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Pennsylvania, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within PennsylvaniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$72K
Leavers$57K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Adams County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Adams County report $71,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $56,800, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$55,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,387 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,586 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $176,100.
Getting to work
16 minutes each way on average; 11.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Camp Swift, TX matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8
9.6
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out8
$56,814
19% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMcSherrystownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.1%10% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure9.6above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$71,7462% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$56,81419% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 27.2%, 33% above the median place.

McSherrystown27.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$55,480
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
27.2%
33% above the median place
Home price to income
2.9x
24% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
27%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$44,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in McSherrystown, $1,387 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like McSherrystown, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Posen, IL22.5% vs 27.2%$10,900Compare
Clifton Heights, PA24.2% vs 27.2%$9,000Compare
Blacklick Estates, OH23.5% vs 27.2%$10,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in McSherrystown.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to McSherrystown? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
48.2%
27% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.9%
104% above the median place
Median home value1
$176,100
45% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureMcSherrystownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,3872% above
Rent to income127.2%33% above
Property tax rate11.9%104% above
Home price to income12.9x24% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.45% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,35416% below
HUD area median income4County figure$106,8000% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,2670% above
Median home value1$176,10045% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.3%29% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure45.8%11% below
Homeownership148.2%27% below
Renters paying 30%+150.5%0% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,58615% below
Vacant homes1County figure6.5%8% below
Median year built119730% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
16 min
37% below the median place
Income per person1
$28,600
29% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMcSherrystownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$61,15924% below
Income per person1$28,60029% below
Unemployment1County figure3.4%31% below
Average annual pay6County figure$57,00814% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.5%22% above
Jobs6County figure33,24978% below
Poverty rate119.3%79% above
Mean commute116 min37% below
Works from home1County figure11.7%6% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 11.1%, 66% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
11.1%
66% below the median place
Median age1
31.0
21% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
84.2%
9% below the median place
All 9 people measures
MeasureMcSherrystownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population13,1146646th largest
Population change since 202072.4%112% above
Median age131.021% below
Bachelor's or higher111.1%66% below
High school or higher191.3%1% below
Household size12.65% above
Born abroad1County figure3.7%58% below
No health insurance1County figure6.0%6% below
Homes with broadband184.2%9% below
05

Life in McSherrystown

35 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.8 +26%
Playgrounds per 10k9.6 +2%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k28.9 2.6×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.2 −13%
Shops29.4 −3%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.7 +15%
Doctors' offices and clinics8.5 −58%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9
8.5
58% below the median place
Students per teacher13
13.1
15% below the median place
Public schools13
26
189% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureMcSherrystownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure26189% above
Public school students13County figure12,831162% above
Students per teacher13County figure13.115% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure18.213% below
Shops per 10k9County figure29.43% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.715% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure8.558% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k1012.826% above
Playgrounds per 10k109.62% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1028.9159% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure35169% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 126, 34% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
126
34% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
471
61% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Natural hazard risk15
67.5
27% below the median place
Tornado risk15
46.3
43% below the median place
Heat wave risk15
68.6
24% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureMcSherrystownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure86°F1% below
January average low14County figure22°F15% below
Average temperature14County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation14County figure44.9 in3% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure67.527% below
Hurricane risk15County figure84.119% above
Tornado risk15County figure46.343% below
Wildfire risk15County figure44.228% below
Heat wave risk15County figure68.624% below
Median air quality index16County figure422% below
Good air days16County figure74.4%9% above
08

McSherrystown in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, up from 27% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,387/mo (2024)$1,820/mo$1,490 to $2,220/mo+4.6%
Median household income$61,159 (2024)$78,500$66,000 to $92,500+4.2%
Median home value$176,100 (2024)$240,000$174,000 to $330,000+5.3%
Population3,150 (2025)3,2103,080 to 3,350+0.4%

The median home would be worth 3.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like McSherrystown

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Camp Swift, TX$1,352$63,944Compare
Balch Springs, TX$1,378$66,942Compare
Channelview, TX$1,279$64,422Compare
Fair Oaks, GA$1,314$62,996Compare
Fair Oaks, GAChannelview, TXBalch Springs, TXCamp Swift, TXMcSherrystown, PAMcSherrystownCamp SwiftBalch SpringsChannelviewFair OaksMcSherrystownCamp SwiftBalch SpringsChannelviewFair Oaks

Common questions

Is McSherrystown a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 95% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track. The median resident is 31 years old, younger than in 93% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 23 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is McSherrystown expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 27.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $176,100.

What salary do you need to live in McSherrystown?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $55,480 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is McSherrystown safe?

There were 126 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to McSherrystown?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Camp Swift, TX, Balch Springs, TX, Channelview, TX and Fair Oaks, GA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares McSherrystown with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for McSherrystown itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mcsherrystown-pennsylvania

Citytistics. “McSherrystown, Pennsylvania.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/mcsherrystown-pennsylvania/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.