From the first capital city to a funky, historic commercial center
The seat of its namesake county, York is a South Central Pennsylvania city with Colonial-era credits as the birthplace of a nation. “York has historic relevance, the Articles of Confederation were signed there,” says Mitzi Heaton, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty who specializes across South Central Pennsylvania. “It’s kind of an average-sized city, but there’s a lot of festivals and events.”
Businesses and the local minor league baseball claim the First Capital Identity, as do the nearly 45,000 residents who live in the White Rose City. That early history is still visible in York; preserved cabins and a courthouse sit along the banks of the Codorus Creek, welcoming an increasing number of tourists who explore industrial-era commercial blocks built in the 19th and 20th centuries and revitalized much more recently. Ornate cornices and bay windows decorate stately homes and historic districts, but cranes and construction sites are also bringing a modern, glassy finish to York.
There are many places in post-industrial Pennsylvania that never bounced back from losing their main manufacturers. After a decades-long shrinking spell, the tireless work of community organizations and local business leaders have ensured that is not the case for York, which is once again growing. The city’s enduring historic charm, diversification of the regional economy and the undeniable beauty of the Susquehanna Valley have helped York blossom into a trendy community of commercial districts and cultural centers that trims away the thorns of leftover blight and underutilized storefronts.
Industrialized highways outside of York haven’t completely replaced the manufacturing sectors and factories that built the city along the Codorus Creek, but they’ve injected new life into the local economy. Amazon, Harley Davidson and snack food brands like Snyder of Hanover are some of the biggest names in the region.
Between the UPMC Memorial Hospital just northeast of York and the in-town WellSpan York Hospital, the city is also home to a robust healthcare industry. The latter is in a period of expansion, an active construction site laying the groundwork for an eight-story surgical and critical care tower.
Placemaking, beautification and historic preservation are at the center of redevelopment plans by both the city government and groups like Downtown Inc and Visit York. Murals and creative crosswalks are increasingly crisscrossing Downtown York, driving foot traffic to small businesses. Reddy Kilowatt, a 12-foot, lightbulb-lit mascot that promoted the country's 20th-century power industry, electrifies visitors to the archives and exhibits of the York County History Center, which opened in 2024.
Nearly 45,000 residents live in York, also known as the White Rose City.
The city of York was founded in 1741 by settlers from Philadelphia.
Industrialized highways outside of York are home to big name factories like Harley Davidson.
Reddy Kilowatt greets you as you enter York County History Center, which opened in 2024.
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Historic single-family homes and new, York County exurbs
In Downtown York, rowhomes built with Italianate, Victorian and Second Empire stylings in the early 1900s stand blocks away from condo complexes from the same pre-war era. Outside the urban core, areas like Springettsbury Township showcase the hallmarks of suburbanization in hilly, rural areas with progressions of midcentury ranch-style and Minimal Traditional homes into subdivisions of townhouses and New Traditional construction built within the past 30 years. The median home price in York is around $225,000, lower than the National Association of Realtors’ given national median of $416,700. Homes sell faster in York, down to 27 days from the national average of 44 days spent on the market.
Many single family homes in York are built on elevated plots of land.
Outside of urban York, hilly, rural areas showcase the hallmarks of suburbanization.
Classic Philadelphia style brownstones in York show its settlers' roots from Philly.
Subdivisions of townhouses exist on the periphery of the city of York.
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Small town business life in Downtown York
A looming, red-brick Romanesque Revival structure sprawls nearly all the way across the business-laden blocks of Philadelphia and Market streets. In the 1800s, shipmakers crafted the lofty, wood-beam vaulted ceilings of the York Central Market, one of the most important fixtures in York’s downtown revitalization. Business hours posted outside green double doors help explain its importance to small business life in York today; limited daytime hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays bring destination shoppers downtown even outside of the weekend rush. A labyrinth of local farmers, butchers, bakers and other vendors set up shop in rows of booths. The sushi spot is strung with colorful paper lanterns, and buoys tangle in nets hung from the fish market.
Around the corner on Beaver Street, Pierre the dog welcomes shoppers outside of Feral Heart Club, a newer vintage shop hung with sparkling disco balls. He wags his tail when the hoagie rollers from Hefty Lefty’s stop by with deli scraps but is less sure about the mailman. The block progresses from the local art-hung White Rose Bar & Grill, itself settled under exposed wood beams, and past specialty shops selling antique cameras, handcrafted soaps and ethically sourced plants. The preserved triple-decker porches of the Holy Hound Taproom wrap around to Market Street, where contemporary coffee shops, law offices and one-way traffic follow wide sidewalks from the preserved, creekfront cabins of the Colonial Complex museums to the imposing, historic facades housing York’s administrative offices and the Hotel Yorktowne. Steeples and stained glass vary the skyline, marking the city’s bevy of multi-denominational historic churches. Outside of town, strip malls and other shopping centers carry big-box footprints, including the Galleria Mall, which is newly anchored by the Hollywood Casino York.
Sit down for some lunch or grab it to go from The Central Market in Downtown York.
Sit in the large sun room and enjoy a delicious meal at White Rose Bar & Grill in Downtown York.
The York Galleria in has over 70 shops for residents of York to explore.
Market Street in York offers a variety of coffee shops, cafes, and bars along wide sidewalks.
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Arts, culture and cannon fire in and around York
Galleries and small businesses stay open late on First Fridays, inviting patrons to stroll the streets of downtown and find a new favorite restaurant or local artist. The York State Fair is older than the United States; first celebrated in 1765, today, it’s a massive celebration of carnival rides, games and fried foods that returns each July. A month or two before the midsummer carnival, the annual Street Rods rolls into town in a parade of gearhead-operated antique cars. Cannon fire echoes over the Codorus from WellSpan Park, heralding home runs and home team wins by the minor league York Revolution.
Catch a game at WellSpan Park, home of the York Revolution in Downtown York.
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Make sure to catch a show at the Appell Center for Performing Arts in Downtown York.
Food Truck Friday happens every Friday from May until September in Springettsbury Township Park.
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A Heritage Rail Trail town near the Susquehanna River
Beautiful alleyways aren’t a common sight, but York has a few. String lights and murals adorn Cherry Lane where it meets Philadelphia Street, leading toward Market Street and a tree-canopied pocket park that acts as an oasis between city blocks. Cyclists pedal parallel to trains traversing the Northern Central Railway on the Heritage Rail Trail County Park, which hugs the Codorus Creek in town at the start of the 30-mile journey to the Mason-Dixon Line. Beyond the smaller community and pocket parks within the city, a wealth of York County parks span hundreds of acres around the city, rambling over the trail-webbed, forested hills of the Susquehanna Valley and the occasional preserved grist mill or abandoned iron ore mine. A greenway initiative aims to improve water quality and the waterfront of Codorus Creek with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but for now, kayakers are more likely to head to favorite launch sites along the Susquehanna River.
York residents can practice their skateboarding skills at the York Memorial Park Complex.
The Heritage Rail Trail runs along Cordorus Creek and is popular with York bikers and runners.
York families can enjoy the green space at one of the many parks in the city.
Murals adorn the area known as Royal Square in downtown York.
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Partnerships with York College and HACC at York public schools
The School District of the City of York earns a C-minus from Niche. William Penn Senior High School earns a C and partners with the nearby York College of Pennsylvania and Harrisburg Area Community College branch to provide dual enrollment opportunities for students. “I get more business with people moving to the suburbs. Buyers go looking for different school districts,” Heaton notes. York Suburban School District is one such district, earning an A-minus and hugging the southeast outskirts of the city. Penn State also operates a York branch campus.
William Penn Senior High School serves students from ninth to twelfth grade.
Jackson Pre-K-8 is in York PA serves approximately 550 students.
Local students in York, PA attend Hannah Penn Pre-K-8.
York College of Pennsylvania is located within the Grantley neighborhood.
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Commuting through South Central Pennsylvania or to Baltimore
South Central Pennsylvania’s regional highways take commuters to towns from Gettysburg to Lancaster. Via U.S. Route 30, those two cities are about 33 miles and 26 miles away respectively. Interstate 83 curves around the city, offering a 25-mile drive to Harrisburg and 52-mile drive south to Baltimore. Rabbittransit buses run fixed routes between York and Hanover. Limited shared bike lanes offer an alternative to walking, driving or busing through town. Harrisburg International Airport is about 30 miles away.
York crime data, weather patterns and Codorus Creek flood management
According to data reported to the FBI by the York City Police Department, 729 violent crimes were committed in both 2022 and 2023. Property crime decreased during the same years from 1,159 reports to 1,050.
York experiences four seasons. Summer heat rises into the 80s, while winter lows dip below freezing.
The Codorus Creek carves a higher-risk flood zone through the center of York, and its branching streams are infamous for spilling their banks over the years. Today, heavy rainfall is managed by the Codorus Creek Flood Risk Management system, which includes the Indian Rock Dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining and upgrading infrastructure like levees when needed.
Jennifer earned her MBA from Alvernia University and began her real estate career. She became a REALTOR® to assist friends, family and clients with their real estate needs and share the wonderful opportunities that Schuylkill, Berks, and the nearby counties offer.
Working previously in the science and manufacturing industries and earning her MBA allowed Jennifer to develop her investigative, finance and project management skills while also elevating her detail-oriented and problem-solving mindset. Being accountable for managing the transaction of a real estate sale is critical in her work as a REALTOR®. Having the background experience in these fields has helped Jennifer be better prepared for her clients and provide them with a higher level of service.
Jennifer has been in real estate since 2016 and has loved helping people realize their real estate dreams. The sincere joy that buyers feel when purchasing a home that they love and the look of excited relief that sellers get when they close a chapter in their life is unbeatable. It is truly an honor to be a trusted partner throughout the process and provide the information and guidance needed to successfully close a transaction.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
