Lancaster, MA

Town in MA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

8,606

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

43.1

years ∙ half population younger than 43.1, half older

Diversity Index

35.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

6.4%

foreign-born population

93.6%Native

6.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.

Location

Town in MA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC42.483569° N, 71.675585° W

DMS42° 29′ 00.85″ N, 71° 40′ 32.11″ W

Population Density & area

312.9/sq mi (121/km²)

Total Area

28 sq mi (72.4 km²)

Land Area

27.5 sq mi (71.1 km²) · 98.2%

Water Area

0.5 sq mi (1.3 km²) · 1.8%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

54.7% male

Male 54.7%

Female 45.3%

males per 100 females

Lancaster 120.9

Massachusetts 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

6.4%

foreign-born population

93.6%Native

6.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Lancaster 6.4%

Massachusetts 18%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.1

years ∙ half population younger than 43.1, half older

Lancaster

43.1

Massachusetts

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

64.2

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Lancaster 64.2

Massachusetts 59.3

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.2%	19.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	60.9%	62.7%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	19.9%	17.9%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	64.2	59.3	64.4
Child dependency ratio	31.5	30.9	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	32.7	28.5	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

79.2%

Black

5.3%

Asian

0.8%

Hispanic

11.7%

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

35.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Lancaster 35.6%

Massachusetts 52.7%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Lancaster population

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Hispanic or Latino	11.7%	13.3%	19.3%
Mexican	3.9%	0.8%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	5.2%	4.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	2.6%	7.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	88.3%	86.7%	80.7%
One race	86.3%	81.6%	76.4%
White	79.2%	66.6%	57.4%
Black or African American	5.3%	6.4%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.8%	7.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	1%	1.2%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2%	5.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

71.5% family

Family 71.5%

Non family 28.5%

% family households

Lancaster 71.5%

Massachusetts 62.4%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.54

persons per household

Lancaster

2.54

Massachusetts

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Lancaster population

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Total households	2,960	2,785,042	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.54	2.44	2.53
Family households	2,117	1,737,385	82,990,528
Average family size	3.06	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	1,806	1,277,065	60,637,388
Other families	311	460,320	22,353,140
Male householder	44	130,288	6,572,819
Female householder	267	330,032	15,780,321
Non-family households	843	1,047,657	46,236,968
One-person households	730	800,741	37,140,836
Male householder	233	340,400	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	18	114,936	5,225,110
Female householder	497	460,341	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	344	237,454	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	113	246,916	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,025

housing units

Lancaster 3,025

Massachusetts 3,030,406

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

97.9% occupied

Occupied 97.9%

Vacant 2.1%

vacancy rate

Lancaster 2.1%

Massachusetts 8.1%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

90%

Single family houses

90%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

10.1%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1973

Half of houses were built before 1973, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

19.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

29.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

23.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

26.8%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.3	5.5	5.5
1–3 rooms	1.8%	17%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	51.6%	49.5%	51.6%
7+ rooms	46.6%	33.4%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	3%	2.9%
1 bedroom	6.4%	13.7%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	22.2%	27.7%	25%
3 bedrooms	47.8%	34.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	23.7%	21.3%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1973	1964	1981
Total housing units	3,025	3,030,406	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

85.1% owners

Renter-occupied 14.9%

Owner-occupied 85.1%

homeownership rate

Lancaster 85.1%

Massachusetts 62.5%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.51

Owner-occupied

2.73

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Lancaster 2.51

Massachusetts 2.62

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Total occupied units	2,960	2,785,042	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	14.7%	22.5%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	42.2%	38.6%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	23.5%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	19.6%	22.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.2%	11.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	31.9%	36.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	34.6%	35.7%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	31.2%	16.5%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	28.6%	56.1%	51.4%
Electricity	9.3%	18.6%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	58.7%	22.4%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.4%	1.9%	2%
No fuel used	0%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$519,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Lancaster

$519,100

Massachusetts

$562,100

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

24.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

24.2%

Owners without a mortgage

26.7%

Renters

68.3%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Property value
Median Value	$519,100	$562,100	$332,700
Under $100,000	1.9%	2.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	1.5%	3.1%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	3.6%	8.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	40.6%	28.7%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	49.1%	43.2%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	3.3%	13.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	77.7%	66.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	22.3%	33.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,660	$2,726	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$1,336	$1,043	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$2,338	$1,762	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

50.3%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Lancaster 50.3%

Massachusetts 47.3%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Lancaster 5.6%

Massachusetts 8.6%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,808

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

10.1%

K–12

75.6%

College / Undergraduate

12.9%

Graduate / Professional

1.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

35.8%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Lancaster

35.8%

Massachusetts

50.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,808	1,677,525	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	10.1%	6%	5.7%
K–12	75.6%	60.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5%	4.4%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	18%	17.3%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20.3%	18.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	32.3%	20.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	14.3%	33.2%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	12.9%	24.3%	21%
Graduate, professional school	1.4%	8.9%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	35.8%	50.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	86%	71.9%	82%
Private school	14%	28.1%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

6,305

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.8%

HS graduate

24.2%

Some college no degree

14.6%

Associates degree

5.3%

Bachelors degree

31.6%

Graduate or professional degree

18.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

100% · 0%

9th-12th, no diploma

100% · 0%

HS graduate

66.8% · 33.2%

Some college no degree

42.4% · 57.6%

Associates degree

33.7% · 66.3%

Bachelors degree

44.6% · 55.4%

Graduate or professional degree

50.7% · 49.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Population (25+)	6,305	4,987,302	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	0.8%	4.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.8%	4.3%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	24.2%	22.6%	26%
Some college, no degree	14.6%	14.1%	19.1%
Associate's degree	5.3%	7.5%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	50.3%	47.3%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	31.6%	25.5%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	18.7%	21.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	94.4%	91.4%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$73,466

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$58,807

Some college or associates

$63,238

Bachelors degree

$78,300

Graduate or professional degree

$99,522

Poverty Rate

1.3%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

HS graduate

4.5%

Some college or associates

1.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

1.3%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Lancaster	Massachusetts	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$73,466	$66,782	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$36,200	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$58,807	$46,175	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$63,238	$52,923	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$78,300	$81,726	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$99,522	$102,561	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	0%	25.1%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	4.5%	12.9%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	1.2%	9.3%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1.3%	4.1%	4.5%

Insights for Lancaster, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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