Borough · Pennsylvania
Lykens, Pennsylvania
Lykens, borough, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Lykens had 1,856 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,873 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,878 (±400). GEOID 4245592.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,856
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,873 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,878 ±400
Median household income
$73,318
±$16,251 (90% margin)
Pennsylvania: $77,971
Median home value
$107,300
±$24,691 (90% margin)
Pennsylvania: $254,500
Median gross rent
$804
±$702 (90% margin)
Pennsylvania: $1,209
Where is Lykens and what county is it in?
Lykens is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. It covers 1.2 square miles of land, 1,535 residents per square mile in 2020.
Lykens is in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Lykens, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,856 people lived in Lykens on July 1, 2025, down 0.2% since 2020, while Pennsylvania grew 0.4%. The 2020 Census counted 1,873 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,878 (±400).
| Measure | Lykens | Dauphin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,878 ±400 | 289,593 | no clear change |
| Households | 828 ±188 | 121,358 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.27 ±0.26 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 970 ±180 | 127,828 | no clear change |
Lykens's population since 2000
From 1,937 in 2000 to 1,856 in 2025: down 4.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Lykens as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Lykens?
The median resident of Lykens is 44.1 years old; 22.3% are under 18 and 17.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 15.5%.
| Measure | Lykens | Dauphin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.1 ±4.8 | 39.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.3% ±6.0 pts | 22.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.5% ±5.1 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Male | 54.3% ±4.2 pts | 48.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 11.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.6% ±9.9 pts | 60.6% | −15.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±4.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 15.5% ±10.0 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.2% ±1.1 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.6% ±4.9 pts | 6.6% | – |
| With a disability | 17.3% ±4.6 pts | 14.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.9% ±10.1 pts | 6.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.3% ±6.0 pts | 91.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.7% ±5.9 pts | 34.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.3% ±3.3 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.7% ±3.5 pts | 87.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.6% ±2.7 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Lykens earn?
Half of Lykens's 828 households earn less than $73,318 a year (±$16,251), against $76,242 in Dauphin County and $77,971 in Pennsylvania. In 2015-2019 the median was $49,543 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $23,775 after inflation. 23.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Lykens | Dauphin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,318 ±$16,251 | $76,242 | +$23,775 |
| Mean household income | $75,202 ±$10,497 | $101,339 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,559 ±$5,487 | $42,294 | +$7,826 |
| People below the poverty line | 23.0% ±11.4 pts | 12.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 45.6% ±28.6 pts | 16.7% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 25.2% ±14.3 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.1% ±6.9 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 76.3% ±8.7 pts | 90.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Lykens?
Owners occupy 61.5% of Lykens's occupied homes and renters 38.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $107,300 by its owner (±$24,691).
| Measure | Lykens | Dauphin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $107,300 ±$24,691 | $236,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $804 ±$702 | $1,217 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.2% ±19.4 pts | 37.8% | −23.5 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,196 ±$69 | $1,660 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 61.5% ±13.0 pts | 63.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 38.5% ±13.0 pts | 36.9% | – |
| Housing units | 970 ±180 | 127,828 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.0% ±4.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.8% ±11.5 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.9% ±2.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 55.8% ±12.0 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 13.6% ±6.8 pts | 9.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Lykens building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Lykens in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 2.0 across Pennsylvania.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Lykens work and get to work?
50.2% of Lykens's workers drive alone and 19.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.9 minutes.
| Measure | Lykens | Dauphin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.1% ±5.8 pts | 64.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% ±4.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 50.2% ±11.6 pts | 68.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 24.4% ±16.7 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Walked | 2.2% ±2.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 19.2% ±8.1 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.9 min ±5.5 | 21.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Lykens?
1 census tract lies mostly in Lykens (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 250Dauphin County | 2,928 | $72,596 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Lykens) · Census block assignment files
How does Lykens compare with other places in Pennsylvania?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Lykens is the 7,936th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 441st-most populous of 1,012 in Pennsylvania.
Lykens ranks 1,238th of 2,136 places in Pennsylvania with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 441st | 1,012 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 865th | 1,764 |
| Residents per square mile | 781st | 2,159 |
| Median household income | 1,238th | 2,136 |
| Per capita income | 1,611th | 2,157 |
| Median home value | 2,002nd | 2,146 |
| Poverty rate | 107th | 1,606 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1,994th | 2,129 |
| Median age | 1,053rd | 2,157 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,794th | 2,149 |
| Work from home | 363rd | 1,710 |
| Travel time to work | 462nd | 2,156 |
Lykens's figures with every place in Pennsylvania (CSV)
Every place in Pennsylvania, sortable · Compare Lykens with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Lykens?
21 of the 57 figures for Lykens on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Lykens are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Lykens.