Historic paper company office building on Main Street in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania

Moving to Spring Grove, PA: Living in Spring Grove Guide

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Spring Grove is a small paper-mill borough in western York County, set on Codorus Creek about halfway between York and Hanover. It was laid out in 1747, became a borough in 1882, and has been tied to papermaking since the 1850s. The mill is still running today. The town itself covers less than a square mile, but the Spring Grove Area School District and the 17362 ZIP code reach well into the farmland and newer subdivisions around it.

Spring Grove suits families who want a well-regarded local school district, commuters who split their week between York, Hanover and the Baltimore area, and anyone who likes a real small town with a dairy bar on Main Street and a 3,500-acre state park ten minutes away. Housing costs also run below the York County average by most measures.

Planning a move to Spring Grove? Call our York PA & Maryland team at 717-844-5125 or get your price online.

Where Is Spring Grove?

Spring Grove sits in the Codorus Creek valley in southwestern York County, part of the York–Hanover metro area. The Pigeon Hills rise to the northwest, and Codorus State Park and Lake Marburg lie a few miles southwest toward Hanover.

Approximate driving distances from the center of the borough (OpenStreetMap routing):

  • Hanover: about 9 miles, roughly 20 minutes
  • Downtown York: about 10 miles, roughly 20 minutes
  • Gettysburg: about 23 miles, roughly 40 minutes
  • Harrisburg: about 35 miles, roughly an hour
  • Harrisburg International Airport (MDT): about 39 miles
  • Baltimore: about 50 miles, roughly 1 hour 20 minutes
  • BWI Marshall Airport: about 58 miles
  • Washington, D.C.: about 83 miles
  • Philadelphia: about 114 miles

PA Route 116 connects the Spring Grove area with Hanover, and Codorus State Park is reached by PA Route 216. Actual drive times depend heavily on the time of day, especially heading into York at rush hour.

Spring Grove Population & Demographics

Spring Grove had 2,372 residents at the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) puts the borough at about 2,433 people for 2020–2024, with a median age of 41.2. Incomes are close to the statewide median, and the poverty rate is below the state rate.

Measure (ACS 2020–2024) Spring Grove York County Pennsylvania United States
Population 2,433 462,924 13,018,639 334,922,500
Median age 41.2 41.1 40.9 38.9
Median household income $76,620 $84,829 $77,971 $80,734
Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+) 23.5% 27.6% 35.2% 35.7%
Owner-occupied homes 60.0% 76.3% 69.3% 65.2%
Poverty rate 9.6% 8.4% 11.7% 12.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates via Census Reporter. The 2020 Census count is from Wikipedia’s citation of the decennial census.

About 60% of homes inside the borough are owner-occupied, lower than the county average. That reflects the older twins, rowhomes and apartments near Main Street. Once you leave the borough line, the surrounding townships are mostly single-family homes on larger lots.

Is Spring Grove Safe?

We did not find a recent, reliable crime data source for Spring Grove worth quoting, so we won’t guess. If safety is a top priority, ask the police department that covers the specific street you are considering (borough and township coverage can differ), look at York County’s public safety resources, and visit the neighborhood on a weeknight and a weekend before you sign.

Cost of Living in Spring Grove

Home Prices

Two numbers are worth knowing. The Census Bureau’s ACS puts the median value of owner-occupied homes inside the borough at $204,000 (2020–2024), below the York County median of $248,600 and the Pennsylvania median of $254,500. That figure is self-reported by owners and lags the market.

For a more current read, Zillow’s Home Value Index for Spring Grove was about $334,151 in August 2026, up 3.4% from a year earlier. The York County figure was about $311,142 (up 3.3%), and the statewide figure was about $290,401. The gap between the two figures is normal: the Census number is what owners reported over a five-year period, while Zillow estimates what a typical home is worth today. Older in-town houses and newer homes outside the borough can land well apart, so compare actual recent sales on the streets you like.

Rent

Rentals are limited, and most are apartments and half-doubles in or near the borough. The ACS median gross rent (rent plus utilities) in Spring Grove was $1,135 for 2020–2024, a bit under the York County median of $1,193 and the U.S. median of $1,413. Zillow did not publish a rent index for the 17362 ZIP code, which tells you how thin the rental market is. Start your search early and be ready to move quickly when something opens up.

Best Neighborhoods in Spring Grove

The Borough Core and Main Street

The old borough along Main Street and Codorus Creek is a National Register historic district (listed in 1984). You’ll find brick and frame homes from the mill era, twins and small lots, with the dairy bar, pizza shops and the post office within walking distance. It suits first-time buyers, downsizers and anyone who wants a walkable small town. Expect narrow streets, tight on-street parking and older systems in many houses, so budget for a thorough inspection.

The Countryside Around the Borough

Just outside the borough line, the land opens into farm fields and newer subdivisions, much of it still with a Spring Grove mailing address. This is where you’ll find larger single-family homes, two-car garages and bigger yards. The district’s high school, intermediate and elementary schools share a campus off Roth Church Road, so many families look here for short school runs. It suits growing families who want space and don’t mind driving for groceries.

Thomasville and the New Salem Area

The Spring Grove Area School District also takes in communities toward York, with Paradise Elementary in Thomasville along the Lincoln Highway and New Salem Elementary on Salem Road. These areas put you closer to York’s shopping and to US-30, while keeping the Spring Grove schools. They suit commuters who work in York or head east most days.

Weather & Climate

Spring Grove has four distinct seasons. At the nearby York Airport station, NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals show January averaging a high of 39.4°F and a low of 20.8°F, while July averages a high of 85.2°F and a low of 63.1°F.

Spring Grove has its own NOAA precipitation station, which averages 44.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year and about 28.8 inches of snow. January (9.8 inches) and February (9.4 inches) are the snowiest months, with March still averaging 5.0 inches. September is the wettest month, at 4.87 inches.

Month Avg. high Avg. low Precipitation
January 39.4°F 20.8°F 3.08 in.
April 63.3°F 39.0°F 3.43 in.
July 85.2°F 63.1°F 4.38 in.
October 65.7°F 42.1°F 3.94 in.

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals, York Airport (temperatures) and Spring Grove (precipitation) stations.

For moving, late April through June and mid-September through October are usually the easiest stretches: no snow, milder heat and dry roads. If you move between December and March, keep a backup date in mind and plan to clear the driveway and walkways before the truck arrives.

Things to Do in Spring Grove

Codorus State Park and Lake Marburg

About 8.5 miles from town, Codorus State Park covers 3,500 acres near Hanover. The 1,275-acre Lake Marburg has 26 miles of shoreline and is known as a stop for migrating waterfowl. The park offers boating, fishing, a swimming pool, disc golf, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and camping. It makes an easy weekend outing from town.

Thunder Ridge Vineyards

Thunder Ridge Vineyards is a small family winery on Hill Top Drive South, about five miles east of Hanover off Route 116. It sells its own wines and grapes and hosts events, rentals and weddings. It’s an easy local outing for a Saturday afternoon.

Caputo Brothers Creamery

Caputo Brothers Creamery has made handcrafted Italian cheeses, including mozzarella and ricotta, at 245 North Main Street since 2011. Besides selling its cheese, it offers cheesemaking classes, which make a good date night or family activity. Its cheeses are sold at retail locations around the region too.

The Spring Grove Historic District

Take a walk along Main Street and the streets near Codorus Creek. The district’s buildings show how the town grew from an iron forge in the 1770s into a papermaking center after 1851, when the ironworks were converted to paper production. P. H. Glatfelter bought the mill in 1864, and the town’s growth has followed the mill ever since.

Day Trips to Gettysburg, York and Hanover

Gettysburg is about 23 miles west, close enough for an easy day at the battlefield. Downtown York, about 10 miles east, has the county’s biggest selection of restaurants and events, and Hanover is about 9 miles away for shopping and errands.

Where to Eat in Spring Grove

Papertown Dairy Bar & Restaurant

The name nods to the mill. Papertown Dairy Bar, at 267 North Main Street, is a classic small-town diner and ice cream stand. It opens early for breakfast, and reviewers single out the plate-sized pancakes, the omelets and the chicken pot pie. It’s cash only, so bring bills.

Buon Appetito Ristorante & Brewery

Owners Tony and Maria Calderone run this family-owned Italian restaurant and brewery at 6147 York Road. It has indoor seating, a covered and heated outdoor deck, and a banquet room. It is a good pick for a sit-down dinner or a family celebration.

Caputo Brothers Creamery

If you’d rather eat at home, stop at Caputo Brothers on North Main Street for fresh mozzarella and ricotta made right in town. It is an unusual find in a borough this size.

Jobs & Economy

The paper mill is still Spring Grove’s anchor. Now owned by Pixelle Specialty Solutions, it announced in April 2025 that some operations from a closing mill in Chillicothe, Ohio, would move to Spring Grove. Pixelle ranked 35th among York County employers in the state’s most recent Top 50 list we opened (4th quarter 2023), and the Spring Grove Area School District ranked 36th.

Most residents commute. York County’s largest employers on that list include York Hospital, Amazon, the federal government, WellSpan Health, Walmart, York County government, Giant Food Stores, BAE Systems, Harley-Davidson and Utz Quality Foods. The Baltimore job market, about 50 miles south, rounds out the options.

Schools in Spring Grove

Spring Grove is served by the Spring Grove Area School District. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2024–2025 school year), the district runs six schools with 3,872 students and a student-teacher ratio of about 15 to 1.

  • Spring Grove Area High School (1490 Roth Church Road): about 1,163 students, grades 9–12. The current building opened in 2008.
  • Spring Grove Area Middle School (244 Old Hanover Road): about 650 students, grades 7–8
  • Spring Grove Area Intermediate School (1480 Roth Church Road): about 608 students, grades 5–6
  • Spring Grove Elementary (1450 Roth’s Church Road), Paradise Elementary (Thomasville) and New Salem Elementary (Salem Road): grades K–4

For college, York College of Pennsylvania is about 10 miles away in York. Confirm your attendance zone with the district before you buy or sign a lease, especially if you’re comparing homes on the York side of the district.

Spring Grove Quick Facts

County York County, Pennsylvania
Municipality type Borough (incorporated 1882)
ZIP codes 17362 (also 17354)
Area code 717
Land area About 0.8 square miles
Population 2,372 (2020 Census)
School district Spring Grove Area School District
Nearest commercial airports Harrisburg International (MDT), about 39 miles; BWI Marshall, about 58 miles
Nearest cities Hanover (about 9 miles), York (about 10 miles)
Biggest nearby park Codorus State Park (3,500 acres)

Moving to Spring Grove: Tips From Our Crew

  • Plan for tight streets in the borough. Many homes near Main Street have on-street parking only and little room for a large truck. Let us know ahead of time, and if you can, ask neighbors to leave a stretch of curb open on moving day.
  • Watch for mill and school traffic. Main Street is the main route through town, and the Roth Church Road school campus gets busy at drop-off and pickup. We schedule around those windows whenever possible.
  • Measure old staircases. Mill-era twins and rowhomes often have narrow, turning stairs. Measure sofas, box springs and dressers before moving day. Sometimes a piece has to go through a window or come apart, and it’s better to know that in advance.
  • Have a winter backup date. With nearly 29 inches of snow in a typical year, a January or February move can slip a day. Keep your closing or lease dates flexible if you can.
  • Check township rules in the newer subdivisions. Some neighborhoods have HOA rules about moving trucks, storage pods and dumpsters. Get those in writing before you book.
  • Book spring and summer early. School-year timing drives a lot of local moves. Late May through August fills up fast, so reserve your date as soon as you have a closing date.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to Spring Grove

Is Spring Grove, PA a good place to live?

For many families, yes. Spring Grove offers a small-town Main Street, its own school district, Codorus State Park close by, and home values inside the borough that sit below the county median. The trade-offs are limited shopping in town and a commute for most jobs. Visit on a weekday and a weekend before you decide.

How far is Spring Grove from York and Hanover?

Downtown York is about 10 miles east, roughly a 20-minute drive, and Hanover is about 9 miles southwest, also about 20 minutes. Baltimore is about 50 miles away, which is why some residents commute to Maryland. Rush-hour traffic into York can add time.

How much do movers cost in Spring Grove?

It depends on the size of your home, the distance, stairs and access, and any packing you need. A one-bedroom apartment across town and a four-bedroom house going out of state are very different jobs. The best way to get a real number is a free quote. With A & M, an owner calls you back within 15 minutes during business hours.

What school district serves Spring Grove?

The Spring Grove Area School District serves the borough and surrounding communities, including the Thomasville and New Salem areas. NCES counts six schools and about 3,872 students. Always confirm the attendance zone for a specific address with the district before you buy or rent.

When is the best time to move to Spring Grove?

Late spring and early fall usually bring the best moving weather, with no snow and milder temperatures. Summer is the busiest season because of the school calendar, so book early. Winter moves are cheaper to schedule but need a weather backup plan.

Move to Spring Grove With A & M Friendly Movers

A & M Friendly Movers has been family-owned since 2015, and our York PA & Maryland team knows the roads between Spring Grove, York and Hanover well. Our crews are background-checked, drug-tested W-2 employees, never subcontractors. With our Owner’s Promise, you talk to an owner, not a call center. If anything is damaged, an owner calls you the same day, and claims are resolved in 60 to 90 days. We handle local moves, long-distance moves, packing, storage and heavy items like pianos and safes. Visit our Spring Grove movers page or our York movers hub, or call 717-844-5125.

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