Downtown Hershey at the intersection of Chocolate Ave and Cocoa Ave, with the signature Hershey Kiss lights and the Hershey
Chocolate Factory in the background.
Hershey is an unincorporated community within Derry Township in Dauphin
County in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 14 miles east of Harrisburg. The community
has no legal status as an incorporated municipality and all municipal services are provided by Derry Township. The Census Bureau
has also defined a census-designated place (CDP) with the same name for
statistical purposes, although the local understanding of the community may differ somewhat from the census definition. The
population was 12,771 at the 2000 census.
Hershey was originally named Derry Church, Pennsylvania. It was renamed Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1906 after the growing
popularity of Hershey's Chocolate. It is popularly called Chocolatetown, USA.
Geography
Hershey is located at 40.278423° N 76.651240°
W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of
37.4 km² (14.4 mi²). 37.3 km² (14.4 mi²) of it is
land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.35%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 12,771 people, 5,451 households, and 3,297 families residing
in the CDP. The population density was 342.2/km² (886.5/mi²). There were 5,887
housing units at an average density of 157.7/km² (408.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.07% White, 2.12% African American, 0.06% Native American, 4.87% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 5,451 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were
non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86. In the CDP the population was spread out with
20.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or
older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
were 82.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,098, and the median income for a family was $63,385. Males had a median
income of $42,013 versus $31,086 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was
$28,487. About 3.8% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Sports
Hershey is home of the 2006 and nine-time Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. The Bears, one of
the oldest hockey teams in existence and one of the few remaining original teams of the AHL, played in the Hersheypark Arena for over six decades and have made GIANT Center their home since 2002.
Hershey was once home to the Hershey Wildcats of the A-League. This professional soccer team was folded after
the 2001 season by its owners, who decided that it would not be successful financially. The Wildcats were named after a popular
roller-coaster in Hersheypark. Hershey was
also home to the Hershey Impact over the AISL
indoor soccer league.
NBA basketball player
Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game played at Hersheypark Arena in 1962; his effort remains a single-game record for
the league.
Points of interest
The community is home to The Hershey Company which also makes the well-known
Hershey bar and Hershey Kisses, as well as the
parent to the H. B. Reese Candy Company, manufacturer of the # 1 selling candy brand in the
United States, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Hershey's Chocolate World is a factory store and virtual tour ride of the The Hershey Company. Hershey
Entertainment and Resorts Company owns and operates Hersheypark, Hersheypark Stadium and other attractions such as ZooAmerica, and is a major employer of the
community and surrounding area. The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical
Center and the Milton Hershey School for orphans and troubled youth are
also located in Hershey.
See also
External links
Coordinates:
40.278423° N 76.65124°
W
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