Get paid to care for family in Dauphin County
Most of the 55,000 people in Dauphin County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Pennsylvania Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Dauphin County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 55,000
- Aged 85+
- 5,720
- Rank in PA
- 15th
- Median age
- 39.4
19% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 67 counties, by residents 65+
close to the national average
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Dauphin County is a metro county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Dauphin
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 55,000 people in Dauphin County are 65 or older — 19% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Pennsylvania as a whole. Roughly 5,720 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Dauphin County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Statewide, 2.7 million people in Pennsylvania are 65 or older — 20% of the state, across 67 counties.
What Pennsylvania pays family caregivers
$13–$19/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Pennsylvania Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Pennsylvania's programs at a glance
- Community HealthChoices (CHC)
- Services My Way
- OBRA Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Pennsylvania guide →
Towns and cities in Dauphin County
Pennsylvania sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Lower Paxton and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Dauphin County:
- Lower Paxton55,465
- Harrisburg50,649
- Susquehanna28,214
- Swatara28,006
- Derry25,181
- West Hanover11,366
- Lower Swatara10,008
- Middletown9,748
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Dauphin apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Dauphin County start with Pennsylvania's program:
Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Pennsylvania program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Dauphin questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Dauphin County?
Yes. Pennsylvania runs real Medicaid programs — like Community HealthChoices (CHC) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Dauphin County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Dauphin County?
Reported figures in Pennsylvania are around $13–$19/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Dauphin County apply?
Families in Dauphin County start with the state, not the county. Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Dauphin County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Pennsylvania: no — spouses and legal guardians cannot be paid; other relatives incl. adult children and parents of adult (21+) disabled children can
How many people in Dauphin County might need this?
55,000 residents of Dauphin County are 65 or older and about 5,720 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Pennsylvania's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Dauphin do you cover?
All of Dauphin County — including Lower Paxton, Harrisburg, Susquehanna, Swatara and Derry. Eligibility is set by Pennsylvania, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Pennsylvania's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Dauphin County
Start with the Pennsylvania caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Dauphin
The counties Dauphin touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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