Lancaster, PA

City in Lancaster County, PA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

57,719

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

Median Age

32.2

years ∙ half population younger than 32.2, half older

Diversity Index

66.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

13.4%

foreign-born population

86.6%Native

13.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Lancaster is a city within Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Location

City in Lancaster County, PA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC40.042061° N, 76.300990° W

DMS40° 02′ 31.42″ N, 76° 18′ 03.56″ W

Population Density & area

7,983/sq mi (3,083/km²)

Total Area

7.35 sq mi (19.03 km²)

Land Area

7.23 sq mi (18.72 km²) · 98.4%

Water Area

0.12 sq mi (0.31 km²) · 1.6%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.3% male

Male 48.3%

Female 51.7%

males per 100 females

Lancaster 93.6

Lancaster County 96.8

Pennsylvania 97.2

Nativity

13.4%

foreign-born population

86.6%Native

13.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Lancaster 13.4%

Lancaster County 5.8%

Pennsylvania 7.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

32.2

years ∙ half population younger than 32.2, half older

Lancaster

32.2

Lancaster County

39.4

Pennsylvania

40.9

Dependency ratio

45.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Lancaster 45.4

Lancaster County 74.6

Pennsylvania 66.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.8%	23.1%	20.4%
Working age (18-64)	68.8%	57.3%	60.1%
Senior (65+)	10.4%	19.6%	19.5%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	45.4	74.6	66.4
Child dependency ratio	30.2	40.4	34
Old-age dependency ratio	15.2	34.2	32.4

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

39.7%

Black

12%

Asian

2.9%

Hispanic

40.6%

Other

4.8%

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

66.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Lancaster 66.1%

Lancaster County 35.8%

Pennsylvania 44.6%

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

Racial and ethnic composition — Lancaster vs Lancaster County vs Pennsylvania. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Hispanic or Latino	40.6%	11.5%	8.7%
Mexican	2.2%	1%	1.4%
Puerto Rican	26.8%	6.8%	3.7%
Cuban	2.2%	0.4%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	9.4%	3.3%	3.4%
Not Hispanic or Latino	59.4%	88.5%	91.3%
One race	55.4%	85.6%	87.7%
White	39.7%	79.1%	73%
Black or African American	12%	3.4%	10.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0%	0.1%
Asian	2.9%	2.4%	3.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.7%	0.6%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4%	2.9%	3.6%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

55% family

Family 55%

Non family 45%

% family households

Lancaster 55%

Lancaster County 69%

Pennsylvania 62.4%

Average household size

2.44

persons per household

Lancaster

2.44

Lancaster County

2.55

Pennsylvania

2.39

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Lancaster population

	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Total households	21,971	212,748	5,274,853
Average houshold size	2.44	2.55	2.39
Family households	12,083	146,761	3,291,192
Average family size	3.21	3.07	3.01
Married couple family	7,020	120,006	2,437,812
Other families	5,063	26,755	853,380
Male householder	1,572	8,407	246,246
Female householder	3,491	18,348	607,134
Non-family households	9,888	65,987	1,983,661
One-person households	7,142	53,057	1,629,974
Male householder	3,114	21,403	733,485
Senior (65+) living alone	602	7,830	246,162
Female householder	4,028	31,654	896,489
Senior (65+) living alone	1,115	18,685	477,851
Other living arrangements	2,746	12,930	353,687

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

23,049

housing units

Lancaster 23,049

Lancaster County 219,224

Pennsylvania 5,806,452

Occupancy status

95.3% occupied

Occupied 95.3%

Vacant 4.7%

vacancy rate

Lancaster 4.7%

Lancaster County 3%

Pennsylvania 9.2%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

63.4%

Single family houses

63.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

36.4%

Mobile homes

0.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1938

Half of houses were built before 1938, and half after.

* The Census Bureau did not report an exact median year built for Lancaster the estimate falls at or before 1939, the lower limit of the survey's reporting range.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

53.8%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

23.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

16.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

5.8%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.6	6.2	6
1–3 rooms	20.7%	9.6%	11.7%
4–6 rooms	46.8%	45.6%	47.7%
7+ rooms	32.4%	44.9%	40.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	5.5%	1.6%	2.3%
1 bedroom	18.5%	8.2%	10.4%
2 bedrooms	22.6%	21.6%	22.5%
3 bedrooms	33.2%	41.9%	42.3%
4+ bedrooms	20.3%	26.7%	22.6%
At a glance
Median year built	1938	1978	1966
Total housing units	23,049	219,224	5,806,452

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

48.6% owners

Renter-occupied 51.4%

Owner-occupied 48.6%

homeownership rate

Lancaster 48.6%

Lancaster County 69.8%

Pennsylvania 69.3%

Average household size

2.63

Owner-occupied

2.25

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Lancaster 2.63

Lancaster County 2.69

Pennsylvania 2.53

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Total occupied units	21,971	212,748	5,274,853
Year moved in
2020 or later	31.6%	20.6%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	42.6%	39.5%	36.1%
2000 to 2009	13.3%	17.8%	17.5%
1999 or earlier	12.5%	22.1%	26.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	96.6%	97.8%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	2.5%	1.7%	1%
1.51 or more	0.9%	0.6%	0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	14.9%	8.6%	10.4%
1 vehicle	44.4%	29.6%	35.1%
2 vehicles	31.8%	40.1%	35.9%
3 or more vehicles	8.9%	21.7%	18.6%
House heating fuel used
Gas	63%	42.1%	56.4%
Electricity	26.8%	35.5%	25.3%
Solar	0%	0.2%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	6.7%	16.2%	14%
All other fuels	1.7%	5.4%	3.7%
No fuel used	1.9%	0.6%	0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.2%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.3%	1.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$219,500

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Lancaster

$219,500

Lancaster County

$301,100

Pennsylvania

$254,500

Housing Cost Burden

30.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

30.5%

Owners without a mortgage

13%

Renters

46.6%

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	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Property value
Median Value	$219,500	$301,100	$254,500
Under $100,000	7.8%	7.1%	13.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	33.8%	13.3%	22.4%
$200,000 - $300,000	35.5%	29.3%	22.9%
$300,000 - $500,000	18.7%	36.9%	25.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	3.5%	11%	12.8%
$1,000,000 and more	0.8%	2.4%	2.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	69.4%	60.3%	58%
Without a mortgage	30.6%	39.7%	42%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,510	$1,818	$1,762
Without a mortgage	$660	$702	$644
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,240	$1,357	$1,209

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

29.4%

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

Lancaster 29.4%

Lancaster County 32.4%

Pennsylvania 35.2%

Adults without a high school diploma

15.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Lancaster 15.6%

Lancaster County 12.5%

Pennsylvania 7.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

15,219

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.2%

K–12

56.6%

College / Undergraduate

31.6%

Graduate / Professional

6.6%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

49.9%

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

Lancaster

49.9%

Lancaster County

37.3%

Pennsylvania

44%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Total enrolled (age 3+)	15,219	125,120	2,913,513
Nursery / preschool	5.2%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	56.6%	71.5%	66.9%
Kindergarten	3.7%	4.6%	4.8%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	16.6%	22%	19.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	19.4%	23.6%	20.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	17%	21.2%	21.7%
College or graduate school	38.2%	23.2%	27.4%
College, undergraduate	31.6%	17.8%	21.2%
Graduate, professional school	6.6%	5.4%	6.2%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	49.9%	37.3%	44%
School type
Public school	69.6%	70.6%	75.3%
Private school	30.4%	29.4%	24.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

36,951

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

6.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

8.8%

HS graduate

32.4%

Some college no degree

14.1%

Associates degree

8.5%

Bachelors degree

19.2%

Graduate or professional degree

10.2%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

43.5% · 56.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

53.8% · 46.2%

HS graduate

48.8% · 51.2%

Some college no degree

46.8% · 53.2%

Associates degree

48.4% · 51.6%

Bachelors degree

47.5% · 52.5%

Graduate or professional degree

40.2% · 59.8%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Population (25+)	36,951	380,042	9,189,697
Less than 9th grade	6.8%	6%	2.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	8.8%	6.5%	5%
High school diploma or GED	32.4%	33.7%	32.9%
Some college, no degree	14.1%	13.4%	15.1%
Associate's degree	8.5%	8%	8.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.4%	32.4%	35.2%
Bachelor's degree	19.2%	20.6%	20.9%
Graduate or professional	10.2%	11.8%	14.3%
High School or higher	84.3%	87.5%	92.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$41,867

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$29,834

HS graduate

$34,282

Some college or associates

$37,787

Bachelors degree

$58,680

Graduate or professional degree

$83,698

Poverty Rate

7.3%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

37.1%

HS graduate

21.5%

Some college or associates

14%

Bachelors degree or higher

7.3%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Lancaster	Lancaster County	Pennsylvania
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$41,867	$52,871	$53,549
Less than high school graduate	$29,834	$42,337	$33,591
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$34,282	$43,333	$40,643
Some college or associate's degree	$37,787	$49,854	$47,736
Bachelor's degree	$58,680	$65,238	$69,335
Graduate or professional degree	$83,698	$82,018	$87,132
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	37.1%	15.3%	25.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	21.5%	9.1%	13.3%
Some college or associate's degree	14%	5.6%	9.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.3%	3.2%	4.1%

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.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.