Team Becker · Hershey-area relocation
Hershey, Hummelstown or Palmyra: where should you live?
Relocating to the Hershey area? Start with your daily route, home budget and preferred housing style. Then compare actual addresses across these three neighboring communities.
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The quick answer
Start with Hershey if being near the medical campus and central Hershey is a priority. Include Hummelstown if you want to compare a Main Street borough setting with nearby suburban options west of Hershey. Include Palmyra if you want to explore borough homes, townhomes and surrounding township neighborhoods east of Hershey.
There is no single best town for every move. The municipality, school assignment, taxes and commute belong to the individual property—not simply the name in its mailing address.
Three places to begin
What changes from one community to the next?
Hershey
Compare established detached homes, townhomes and condominium options, along with larger homes and lots farther from the center. Proximity to Chocolate Avenue or the medical campus varies considerably by address.
Look closely at: the specific route to work, parking, maintenance on an older home and whether the property is in Derry Township.
Hummelstown
The borough offers an established Main Street setting and older housing, while the broader Hummelstown mailing area also includes townhome communities and suburban detached homes.
Look closely at: borough versus township location, school assignment, association responsibilities and the route from that neighborhood to your workplace.
Palmyra
Compare traditional borough homes with townhomes, established subdivisions and newer construction in the surrounding area. A Palmyra address can cover different municipal settings.
Look closely at: the exact municipality, HOA or condominium costs, remaining construction around a newer home and your westbound route toward Hershey.
Housing descriptions are starting points for a property search, not promises of current availability. Use the linked community guides and a current home search to compare actual listings.
September 2026 · Realtor.com Economic Research
How do home prices compare?
The figures below use Realtor.com’s September 2026 median sold prices for all three ZIP codes. These are ZIP-wide market summaries, not borough-only or school-district statistics.
A median is the middle value in the reported sales, rather than an arithmetic average. It gives a useful starting point for comparing these markets, but it does not price a specific home.
Community / ZIP | Median sold price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Hershey · 17033 | $491,500 | |
Hummelstown · 17036 | $351,300 | |
Palmyra · 17078 | $397,500 |
Source: Realtor.com® Economic Research, “Median sold $” in each ZIP code's market-summary table, with key indicators as of September 2026. All three live reports checked October 15, 2026. Figures may be revised; ZIP boundaries differ from municipal and school-district boundaries.
How to use this: Hershey's ZIP-wide median was higher in this month, followed by Palmyra and Hummelstown. The mix of homes sold can change the result. Compare similar home types, condition, square footage, lot size and location before deciding one town offers better value. These are reported sold prices, not asking prices or estimates of future appreciation.
REAL HOMES · LOCAL EXPERIENCE
Recent Team Becker sales in each town
Explore selected homes we have sold in Hershey, Hummelstown and Palmyra. Each photo and property link opens the home’s own sold-property page, with the recorded closing date and sale price.
Hershey
Recent Hershey closings · 2026
322 Olde Meadow Lane
Hershey, PA
$1,090,000
Closed September 14, 2026
Buyer represented · Aaron Mayersky
225 E Glenn Road
Hershey, PA
$520,000
Closed July 27, 2026
Buyer represented · Aaron Mayersky
Hummelstown
Recent Hummelstown closings · 2026
Palmyra
Recent Palmyra closings · 2026
Selected Team Becker sold-property examples, checked October 15, 2026. All six examples shown closed in 2026. Hershey buyer-side representation, closing dates and prices were verified against Bright MLS records supplied by Team Becker. Hershey listing photos: Bright MLS; listing brokerage Joy Daniels Real Estate Group, Ltd. This selection is not every buyer or seller we have represented. These homes are sold, and their prices are historical results rather than current valuations. Mailing town names do not establish municipality or school assignment.
Browse our sold-property portfolio → · See Team Becker’s full results & methodology →
Check the parcel
Municipalities, school boundaries and taxes
Two houses with similar prices can have different annual costs. Confirm the county, municipality and school district for each address, then request the current county, municipal and school real-estate tax bills.
- Hershey / Derry Township: Hershey is a community within Derry Township in Dauphin County. For a property in Derry Township, check the township and Derry Township School District records. Start with Derry Township's tax resources.
- Hummelstown: Hummelstown Borough is in Dauphin County and the Lower Dauphin School District. The Hummelstown mailing area extends beyond the borough, so do not apply borough taxes or a school assignment to every 17036 listing. See the borough's real-estate tax information.
- Palmyra: Palmyra Borough and North and South Londonderry townships are separate municipalities in Lebanon County. The Palmyra Area School District serves these communities; verify the property's assignment and municipal tax bill rather than relying on the postal name.
Compare the annual dollar total
Use the property's assessment and current applicable rates, plus any approved exclusions, to check its tax calculation. County assessment systems and municipal rates differ, so comparing millage alone can be misleading. A listing's older tax figure may also omit a later assessment or a new-construction interim bill.
Add HOA or condominium dues, insurance, utilities and expected upkeep to the comparison. Confirm current bills and any upcoming assessment changes with the taxing authorities and your settlement professionals.
Property-record starting points: Dauphin County Tax Assessment · Lebanon County Assessment & Property Viewer.
School districts follow the property address
Mailing addresses and school-district boundaries do not line up neatly. Team Becker’s local guidance is to verify the district for each property, even when two homes share the same town name or ZIP code.
- Hummelstown addresses: include properties in both Lower Dauphin School District and Derry Township School District. Hummelstown Borough itself is in Lower Dauphin; the broader mailing area extends beyond the borough.
- Hershey addresses: commonly attend Derry Township or Lower Dauphin schools, depending on the address. Some mailing-address exceptions can involve Palmyra Area or Elizabethtown Area schools.
- Palmyra addresses: the majority are served by Palmyra Area School District, but some mailing-address exceptions involve Annville-Cleona or Elizabethtown Area schools.
Before making a decision, check the parcel record and confirm the assigned district and individual schools directly with the district. A postal address or a listing’s school field is a starting point for verification.
School ratings & Pennsylvania rankings
Review school information, ratings and family reviews through GreatSchools, and compare Pennsylvania school districts through Niche.
- Derry Township School District · GreatSchools
- Lower Dauphin School District · GreatSchools
- Palmyra Area School District · GreatSchools
- Pennsylvania school-district rankings · Niche
Ratings and rankings use different measures and are one part of your research. Confirm school assignment and enrollment eligibility directly with the district for each property address.
Nearby private schools & early learning
Private-school options to explore include Hershey Christian Academy in Hershey and Bishop McDevitt High School, a Catholic high school in Harrisburg.
Saint Joan of Arc School is another Catholic school option serving the Hershey area, offering preschool through eighth grade at its Sand Hill Road campus in Hummelstown.
For younger children, Grace Christian Early Learning in Hummelstown offers preschool and child-care programs, including before- and after-school care.
Contact each school or provider directly about grade levels, admissions, tuition, transportation and availability.
Think door to door
What will your commute actually feel like?
For a medical-campus commute, use your actual building and assigned parking location. Penn State Health lists Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at 500 University Drive, Hershey; other work sites may call for a different comparison.
From Hershey
Some addresses offer a short local route to the medical campus or central Hershey. Others sit farther from your destination. Check which side of town the home is on and test the roads you will actually use.
From Hummelstown
You are comparing locations west of central Hershey. Access toward the medical campus, US 322 and the Harrisburg area depends on the neighborhood and interchange—not just proximity on a map.
From Palmyra
You are generally approaching Hershey from the east. Check your connection to the US 422 corridor and alternatives from the exact property, especially if your workday begins or ends during busier travel periods.
Check a weekday departure and return trip at your real shift times. Include parking and the walk to your building, and consider how event traffic, weather or road work could change the route. We have not published fixed drive-time promises because the starting address, destination and traffic matter.
For work or training at Penn State Health, continue with our medical relocation resource guide. Buying from another state? Read our remote home-buying guide.
EXPLORE BEYOND THE HOUSE
Things to do nearby
When comparing homes, include the places you expect to visit regularly. These official websites are useful starting points for activities, events and programs across the three-town area.
- Hershey: Explore Hersheypark for amusement-park visits and Hershey Theatre for live performances.
- Hummelstown area: Visit Echo Dell – Indian Echo Caverns for cavern tours and outdoor activities.
- Palmyra: Check In The Net Sports Complex for sports, training, leagues and tournaments.
Check each venue directly for current hours, schedules, fees and registration. Compare the route from the specific home you are considering.
Our local perspective
A home has to work with your everyday routine.
We have lived in Palmyra since 2010. Our own moves—from Springbrook Farms to building in Carriage Park—have shaped how we think about the relationship between a house, its neighborhood and daily life.
Our practical starting point is to compare real homes across town lines. Write down your must-haves first: work destination, timing, home style, outdoor space, maintenance and monthly budget. Then use those priorities to build a short list. A town-wide median or a familiar postal name cannot answer all of those questions.
A real move between these communities
Shelby & Jordan: Palmyra to Hummelstown
Shelby and Jordan wanted more room and needed to coordinate selling their Palmyra townhome with buying a larger home. David and Carin began with a video conference and helped organize the next steps.
After touring multiple properties, they found a Hummelstown home with the space and lot they wanted. Their first-weekend offer was accepted with time to sell the townhome, which then went under contract with a cash buyer.
The useful lesson for a relocating buyer: compare the home and the moving plan together. Housing style, lot, sale timing and financing can matter as much as the town name.
Read Shelby & Jordan's complete story →
Existing client story supplied by Team Becker. Individual results and offer terms vary.
Your three-town short list
- Choose your work destination and test the commute from each actual address.
- Compare similar homes and calculate the full monthly ownership cost.
- Verify the parcel's municipality, school assignment, current taxes and association responsibilities.
- Build a move timeline around your purchase, any sale, inspections and settlement.
Let's compare your options.
Tell us where you are moving from, your timing and what matters most in a home. We will help you compare Hershey, Hummelstown and Palmyra around your actual priorities.
Sources & further reading
Hummelstown photo: Jayu, 2007, CC BY-SA 2.0; cropped for display.
Market figures checked October 15, 2026; reporting period shown above. Municipal and school resources should be checked again for any address you are considering. This guide does not rank communities or guarantee school enrollment, tax amounts, commute times or future home values.
Hershey community guide · Hummelstown community guide · Palmyra community guide · Hershey relocation guide