Small community on the Susquehanna River and Swatara Creek
Located right along the Susquehanna River, Royalton is a primarily residential neighborhood with excellent access to outdoor recreation and is close to larger towns with many amenities. Officially incorporated in 1891 by joining the communities of Furnace Hill and Port Royal to the south, the area was once home to a sixty-foot planning mill and Middletown Shale Brick Works. Today, it is one of the 16 boroughs of Harrisburg, with a population a tad over 1,000 people. “It’s a sub-borough of Middletown, so it’s pretty small,” says Neil Martin, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty who has almost 10 years of experience and an award from Coldwell’s International Sterling Society. “It’s an older community with older homes and not a ton of new developments.”
Living in Royalton
Home inventory includes modern duplexes and townhouses lined tightly together and only separated from wide city streets by a sidewalk. On narrow side streets, buyers can find brick ranch-style homes and split-levels perched on compact lots. While the average home price for Royalton is $200,000, buyers can expect a two-bedroom ranch to sell for around $105,000, while a three-bedroom townhouse will rise to sell for nearly $150,000. “Homes in the area are slightly lower in price than the rest of Middletown,” Martin says. “A good portion of the town is in a flood zone, so houses will sit a little bit longer on the market, but you can find a great deal for a renovation.”
Quiet streets in Royalton sit near the Susquehanna River and Swatara Creek.
Ranch-style homes are common across Royalton’s compact lots.
Royalton blends duplexes and single-family homes.
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Planes, trains and automobiles
Most people who live in Royalton rely on their own vehicles to get around. Canal Street, the main thoroughfare in town, is Pennsylvania Route 441 and passes through the borough's center leading into Middletown. Middletown Train Station has an Amtrak line a little over half a mile away. “There’s a small portion of people who will take the train into Harrisburg, but most train travel is vacationers or people going into Philadelphia for the weekend,” Martin says. For farther trips, the Harrisburg International Airport is roughly 3 miles away.
Enjoying the proximity to the water
With its location right along the Susquehanna River and Swatara Creek, Royalton has plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation. Residents can go canoeing and kayaking out on the water or use rowboats and stand-up paddle boards. The Swatara Water Trail has an access point on Water Street, letting hikers and bikers enjoy the beautiful scenery along a 42-mile path. Lastly, Kiwanis Park offers 5.2 acres of green space, with a lighted baseball field, a full basketball court, a playground, and areas for a picnic.
School days in Middletown Area School District
Students are districted for the Middletown Area School District, which grades a B-minus on Niche and serves just over 2,000. The district has announced the building of the new Middletown Area Primary School, which will be for kindergarten through third grade. Reid Elementary School will be converted into a fourth and fifth-grade building starting in the 2026-27 school year. Currently, children attend Lyall J. Fink Elementary, Middletown Area Middle, and Middletown Area High. Both the elementary and middle school grade as a C-plus on Niche, while the high school scores a B. Middletown Area High operates WMSS – 91.1 FM, which is one of the few high school-operated broadcast stations in the country, and middle school students can join the Radio Club before it becomes a credited course for high schoolers that meets outside of the regular school day.
Middletown Middle School serves Royalton students in grades 6 through 8.
Middletown Area High School enrolls older students from Royalton.
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Shopping and dining in nearby Middletown or Highspire
Since Royalton is primarily residential, most people will travel into Middletown to shop. Residents can choose between Karns Foods on South Union Street in Middletown or driving further up East Main Street for the more prominent chain grocer, Giant. For a bite to eat, Brownstone Café is known for its sandwiches and brunch options like chicken and waffles. For something more casual, J&J Pizzeria and Grille serves classic pie slices, subs and stromboli. Further norther, locals can head into Highspire for more restaurant options, including Mama's Pizza and 230 Café.
Mama’s Pizza in Middletown serves classic pies just across the river from Royalton.
Grab a slice at Mama’s Pizza, a local favorite near Royalton.
The 230 Café offers homestyle meals minutes from Royalton in Middletown.
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Things to do in Hershey or Harrisburg
Royalton is less than 10 miles south of Hershey, Pennsylvania, and residents can head to Hershey Park, the largest amusement park in the state, or catch a show at Hershey Park Stadium or catch a Hershey Bears ice hockey game at the Giant Center in Hershey. It is also a tad more than 10 miles west of the state capital, Harrisburg, and here, locals can check out the state capitol building and museums like the Civil War Museum or a Harrisburg Senators baseball game.
Flood zone warning
While the Susquehanna River and Swatara Creek may provide scenic views and recreation options, unfortunately, they put most of Royalton’s properties at extreme risk of flooding. Following Hurricane Lee in 2011, Dauphin County received $7.6 million to help restore Royalton and other affected areas and also began to improve the borough's infrastructure.
Photography Contributed By
Danny Lambert
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
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Very well cared for 1st floor 2-bedroom 1 bath apartment in Royalton Boro. This property has its own washer & dryer. The rent will include the Water, Sewer, Trash, lawn care, snow removal & HEAT
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