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City · 8,344 residents · Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Mount Joy , Pennsylvania

In Mount Joy, a typical home is worth $266,500 and typical rent is $1,182 a month. Compared with all of Lancaster County, typical rent is 13% lower, the typical home value is 11% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 7 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $266,500

    11% below the county

    5% above Pennsylvania

    • Mount Joy
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical rent

    $1,182a month

    13% below the county

    2% below Pennsylvania

    • Mount Joy
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical household income

    $90,061a year

    4% above the county

    16% above Pennsylvania

    • Mount Joy
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

  • Households that own their home

    63%

    7 points below the county

    6 points below Pennsylvania

    • Mount Joy
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical rent
$1,544 a month

From Zillow (ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Mount Joy is in Lancaster County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Lancaster County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Mount Joy apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Columbia, the typical home value is $196,500: 26% less than in Mount Joy ($266,500).

  2. 63% of households in Mount Joy own their home, against 70% in Lancaster County.

  3. Mount Joy has the 20th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 232 cities in Pennsylvania with more than 5,000 people (34%).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Mount Joy

What homes there are in Mount Joy, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Homes in Mount Joy are varied: detached houses are the largest group, at 47%, against 55% in Lancaster County.

Year built

Homes in Mount Joy are older: the typical year built is 1974; in Lancaster County, 1978.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

At least 98% of owner-occupied homes in Mount Joy are worth less than $500,000, below the FHA loan limit for Lancaster County ($541,287).

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,739 a month

Lancaster County: $1,818 a month

Without a mortgage

$718 a month

Lancaster County: $702 a month

Owners with a mortgage

64%

Lancaster County: 60%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Mount Joy is $1,739 a month, near the figure in Lancaster County ($1,818).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Mount Joy gained value faster than in Lancaster County: 48% against 44%.

Rents in Mount Joy rose more slowly than in Lancaster County: 26% since 2015–2019, against 35%.

The typical household income in Mount Joy rose 61%: more than home values (+48%) and rent (+26%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMount JoyLancaster CountyPennsylvaniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.1%4.9%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.3%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.2%1.6%3.4%
People per household 2.352.552.392.53
Drive alone 76%72%68%69%
Carpool 7%10%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate4%4%3%
Work from home 10%12%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

On average, a household in Mount Joy has 2.35 people, fewer than in Lancaster County (2.55).

To get to work, 76% of workers in Mount Joy drive alone; in Lancaster County, 72%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Mount Joy?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Mount Joy, worth $266,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 31% of the typical household income in Mount Joy, which is $90,061 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $99,202 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Lancaster County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Mount Joy. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $9,328 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,315

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$261,673
Total interest
$376,485
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $4,501 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,101 a month

  • Tight

    $2,101 to $2,702 a month

    Your payment · 31%

  • Hard

    more than $2,702 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Mount Joy ($90,061 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,315
Principal & interest$1,773
Property tax$313
Home insurance$111
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$118

You need at least $9,328 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Mount Joy and Lancaster County

Mount Joy is in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Mount Joy's own numbers

Typical home value
$266,500
Typical monthly rent
$1,182
Typical yearly household income
$90,061
Households that own their home
63%
Effective property tax rate
1.41%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Lancaster County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,553
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+59%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.8%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Lancaster County.

Everything about Lancaster County

Buying

Buying a home in Mount Joy

A typical home in Mount Joy is worth $266,500: 11% below the county and 5% above Pennsylvania. With the typical household income in Mount Joy ($90,061 a year), a typical home costs 3.0 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Mount Joy 3.0 years
  • Lancaster 3.5 years
  • Pennsylvania 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Lancaster County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Lancaster County rose 93% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Lancaster County.

Period County Pennsylvania U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.0% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +59% +48% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +93% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Mount Joy next to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Mount Joy $266,500
  • Lancaster $301,100
  • Pennsylvania $254,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Mount Joy $1,182
  • Lancaster $1,357
  • Pennsylvania $1,209
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Mount Joy $90,061
  • Lancaster $86,959
  • Pennsylvania $77,971
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Mount Joy next to Lancaster County and Pennsylvania
Measure Mount Joy Lancaster County Pennsylvania U.S.
Typical home value $266,500 $301,100 $254,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,182 $1,357 $1,209 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $90,061 $86,959 $77,971 $80,734
Households that own their home 63% 70% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,764 $3,975 $3,311 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.41% 1.32% 1.3% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 34% 46% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Lancaster County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Mount Joy

For a typical $266,500 home in Mount Joy, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Mount Joy's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,315a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $9,328
    Cash to close
    $17,323
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $118

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,266a month

    Down payment
    $13,325
    Cash to close
    $21,320
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $127

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,868a month

    Down payment
    $53,300
    Cash to close
    $61,295
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,115a month

    Down payment
    $39,975
    Cash to close
    $47,970
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Mount Joy and for Lancaster County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Mount Joy

1.41%of the home’s value each year

$3,764 a year for the typical owner in Mount Joy.

  • Mount Joy 1.41%
  • Lancaster 1.32%
  • Pennsylvania 1.3%

What Pennsylvania publishes Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (PTRR) (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Pennsylvania

Flood risk in Lancaster County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Lancaster County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.8%
1,544
Of those, with NFIP insurance
27%
County Pennsylvania U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.8% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 27% 23% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Mount Joy

Typical rent in Mount Joy is $1,182 a month: 13% below the county. In Mount Joy, 34% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Lancaster County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,553 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $29.87 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Lancaster County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,152 $22.15 $46,080
1 bedroom $1,256 $24.15 $50,240
2 bedrooms $1,553 $29.87 $62,120
3 bedrooms $1,978 $38.04 $79,120
4 bedrooms $2,041 $39.25 $81,640

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Mount Joy

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Mount Joy is in ZIP code 17552.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,570: $17 more than the fair market rent for Lancaster County ($1,553).

  • 17552 $1,570$2,000

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Mount Joy when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Mount Joy

HUD lists one building with rents for lower incomes in Mount Joy.

  • Nissley Chocolate Factory 951 Wood St, Mount Joy 17552 28 low-income homes · Studio: 4 · 1 bd: 10 · 2 bd: 14 · In service since 1996 · For older adults (717) 735-9590

See all 54 buildings in Lancaster County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Mount Joy

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Lancaster County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Mount Joy

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Mount Joy or Lancaster County. The ones below are statewide in Pennsylvania: they work in Mount Joy the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Pennsylvania

Housing counselors near Mount Joy

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Mount Joy, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Base,inc.

    447 S Prince St, Lancaster · 12 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 2 more
    (717) 392-5467

  • Tenfold

    308 E King St, Lancaster · 12 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (717) 397-5182

  • Community Progress Council, Inc.

    226 E College Ave, York · 15 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (717) 846-4600

Every agency in Lancaster County All counseling agencies in Pennsylvania

Help in Spanish near Mount Joy

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Mount Joy

HUD’s record names them for Mount Joy or Lancaster County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Lancaster County Housing Authority Section 8 vouchers (717) 394-0793

One other authority has an office in Lancaster County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Lancaster County

These cities are also in Lancaster County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Lancaster County Housing in Pennsylvania

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Mount Joy, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Lancaster County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Mount Joy.

All guides
Two girls write and draw together at the living-room table.

Questions

Housing questions about Mount Joy

Short answers with the numbers for Mount Joy and all of Lancaster County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Mount Joy?

The typical home value in Mount Joy is $266,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Lancaster County it is $301,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Mount Joy?

Typical rent in Mount Joy is $1,182 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Lancaster County is $1,553.

What is the FHA loan limit in Mount Joy?

Mount Joy uses the FHA limit for all of Lancaster County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Mount Joy?

The typical homeowner in Mount Joy pays $3,764 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.41% of the home’s value; in Lancaster County, the rate is 1.32%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Mount Joy?

There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Lancaster County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).