The Town Files

Franklin, Pennsylvania

Township in York County · population 5,032 (2020 Census)

Map: where Franklin is in PennsylvaniaFranklin
Median home
$259,500
Household income
$85,276
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 86°
Snow a year
29 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
47.7

Franklin is a township of 5,032 people in York County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $259,500, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 99% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Franklin ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Franklin lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement34th pctFamilies38th pctQuiet40th pctWalkability5th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals64th pctVibrancy30th pctHip & trendy62nd pctCollege town41st pctUpscale65th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit57th pctDriving99th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Franklin is worth $259,500, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $85,276, which is more affordable than 43% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,101 a month. 82.4% of households own their home.

Franklin vs York County vs typical Pennsylvania townFranklinYork CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$259,500$248,600$214,250Household income$85,276$84,829$75,278Monthly rent$1,101$1,193$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingFranklinTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$259,500$214,250
Median rent$1,101$996
Median household income$85,276$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.0×2.8×
Homeownership82.4%81.5%
Median year built19881971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Franklin

PeopleFranklinTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age47.744.2
Age 65 and over18.5%21.1%
Under 1820.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.5%23.8%
Below the poverty line2.9%8.5%
Veterans8.1%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home14.5%10.6%
Average commute26.9 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband93.2%89.0%

Weather in Franklin

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 20.5°F. About 48.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.6 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 24 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 nights at or below freezing.

Franklin monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing38°21°Jan41°22°Feb50°29°Mar63°39°Apr73°49°May81°59°Jun86°63°Jul84°61°Aug77°53°Sep66°42°Oct54°32°Nov42°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.19.12.68.94.05.43.80.34.74.45.54.05.04.30.33.10.73.64.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Carlisle Wtp station (12.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Franklin since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on April 28, 2011 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 18, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Franklin by decade01950s01960s21970s31980s31990s22000s12010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 27, 2008.

Severe weather in York County since 1996

Storm events in York County since 1996 by typeHail141Flood45Drought17Tornado15High Wind23Ice Storm7Heavy Snow36Flash Flood98
NOAA Storm Events Database, York County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 10 deaths recorded.

York County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 10, 2021HurricaneDR-4618: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
February 6, 2014Severe Ice StormEM-3367: Severe Winter Storm

Jobs and pay in York County

York County had 182,614 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,427 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Franklin itself the ACS puts it at 0.8%.

Largest industries in York CountyManufacturing32,814 jobs · $71,376Health care & social assistan…27,350 jobs · $73,898Retail19,975 jobs · $34,617Transportation & warehousing14,003 jobs · $52,933Hotels & restaurants13,418 jobs · $21,924Construction11,740 jobs · $83,004
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in York County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023York 3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Franklin

Franklin questions

Is Franklin, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Franklin scores better for retirees than 34% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 40%. 18.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.7).

How much does a house cost in Franklin?

The median owner-occupied home in Franklin is valued at $259,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,276, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,101 a month.

What is the weather like in Franklin?

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 20.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.0 inches of precipitation a year and 28.6 inches of snow.

Does Franklin get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Franklin since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on April 28, 2011. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Franklin's Census boundary (GEOID 4213327480). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.