The Town Files

Salisbury, Pennsylvania

Township in Lancaster County · population 11,494 (2020 Census)

Map: where Salisbury is in PennsylvaniaSalisbury
Median home
$387,800
Household income
$92,816
Jan low / Jul high
24° / 86°
Snow a year
34 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
15
Median age
31.9

Salisbury is a township of 11,494 people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $387,800, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks better transit than 84% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Salisbury 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.

Salisbury lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement6th pctFamilies77th pctQuiet27th pctWalkability59th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals56th pctVibrancy50th pctHip & trendy5th pctCollege town55th pctUpscale39th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit84th pctDriving2nd 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 Salisbury is worth $387,800, above the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $92,816, which is more affordable than 6% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,287 a month. 77.0% of households own their home.

Salisbury vs Lancaster County vs typical Pennsylvania townSalisburyLancaster CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$387,800$301,100$214,250Household income$92,816$86,959$75,278Monthly rent$1,287$1,357$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingSalisburyTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$387,800$214,250
Median rent$1,287$996
Median household income$92,816$75,278
Home value ÷ income4.2×2.8×
Homeownership77.0%81.5%
Median year built19861971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.2%—

Who lives in Salisbury

PeopleSalisburyTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age31.944.2
Age 65 and over12.1%21.1%
Under 1831.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher14.2%23.8%
Below the poverty line5.3%8.5%
Veterans4.6%—
Born outside the U.S.1.5%—
Work from home13.1%10.6%
Average commute26.5 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband70.6%89.0%

Weather in Salisbury

July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 23.5°F. About 46.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.5 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 98 nights at or below freezing.

Salisbury monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°24°Jan42°25°Feb51°32°Mar63°42°Apr73°53°May81°62°Jun86°66°Jul84°65°Aug77°58°Sep65°47°Oct54°37°Nov43°29°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.310.32.810.64.15.53.61.23.54.54.44.34.94.60.33.21.03.74.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the New Holland 2 Se station (4.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salisbury since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on May 28, 2019 about 9.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 16, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Salisbury by decade11950s01960s11970s11980s31990s22000s62010s12020s
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 23 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 28, 2019.

Severe weather in Lancaster County since 1996

Storm events in Lancaster County since 1996 by typeHail159Flood60Drought15Tornado19High Wind25Heavy Snow32Flash Flood123Funnel Cloud8
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lancaster County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 13 deaths recorded.

Lancaster County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
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
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Lancaster County

Lancaster County had 252,045 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,966 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Salisbury itself the ACS puts it at 0.4%.

Largest industries in Lancaster CountyHealth care & social assistan…43,677 jobs · $62,809Manufacturing37,215 jobs · $70,706Retail29,138 jobs · $36,953Hotels & restaurants20,463 jobs · $24,175Construction18,874 jobs · $77,616Transportation & warehousing14,031 jobs · $59,054
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lancaster County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Lancaster 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Salisbury

Salisbury questions

Is Salisbury, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Salisbury scores better for retirees than 6% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 27%. 12.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.9).

How much does a house cost in Salisbury?

The median owner-occupied home in Salisbury is valued at $387,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $92,816, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is $1,287 a month.

What is the weather like in Salisbury?

July highs average 85.9°F and January lows 23.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.8 inches of precipitation a year and 33.5 inches of snow.

Does Salisbury get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salisbury since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 28, 2019. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Salisbury's Census boundary (GEOID 4207167568). 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.