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Place dossier plate
SheetPA-LANCASTER-PA · Lancaster, PA 57,683 pop · income 40th pct · 116 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Lancaster
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Lancaster on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
York · lowest
47,115
York · lowest
47,115 median HH income
33.2% of the leader · rank #1
Superior · near
63,415
Superior · near
63,415 median HH income
44.7% of the leader · rank #2
Florida · near
63,417
Florida · near
63,417 median HH income
44.7% of the leader · rank #3
Lancaster · this city
63,421
Lancaster · this city
63,421 median HH income
44.7% of the leader · rank #4
North Lauderd… · near
63,423
North Lauderd… · near
63,423 median HH income
44.7% of the leader · rank #5
Holtville · near
63,438
Holtville · near
63,438 median HH income
44.7% of the leader · rank #6
Bowie · highest
141,831
Bowie · highest
141,831 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Lancaster on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 57,683.
Lancaster ranks in the 40th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
40th
percentile, household income
44th
percentile, home value
54th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Lancaster, PA
57,683 people live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Lancaster report a median income of $63,421 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 17.7%. Typical homes in Lancaster are valued around $203,700, and the median resident age is 31.9 years. About 27.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 62.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 190 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 9999% from five years earlier. The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 53.3°F with 42.1 inches of precipitation per year.
Pennsylvania tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Pennsylvania at 97.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,225 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Pennsylvania run around $260, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 67.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Lancaster's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from climate and hazard context to population change to housing and income to within-city variation to work and mobility to schools and households to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Lancaster, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Lancaster?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 53.3°F, with 42.1 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Pennsylvania is 67.4 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
Is Lancaster growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +491 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 190 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
What can 116 Census tracts reveal inside Lancaster?
PlainCities matches 116 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Lancaster?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
Within Pennsylvania, the closest population matches are Levittown (50,930 residents, $101,619 income); Harrisburg (50,092 residents, $47,783 income); York (44,830 residents, $47,115 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Towson, MD (57,683 residents); Bel Air South, MD (57,702 residents); Decatur, AL (57,760 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Lancaster?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 17.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
3.2×
Home value
$203,700
Household income
$63,421
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the journey to work look like in Lancaster?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 62.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
62.0%
Work from home
9.3%
Public transit
4.4%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 28,460 workers age 16+.
What does the education layer cover for Lancaster?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 37 public schools within the city match. 27.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
17.7%
Bachelor's degree+
27.1%
Matched public schools
37
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Below median income · poverty 17.7% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.6 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average
F
City profile score · Lancaster, PA
39/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share C-
27.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living C-
97.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income D
$63,421
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
17.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Lancaster profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 53/100 (C-) · 27.1%
Cost of living: 50/100 (C-) · 97.6 index
Household income: 40/100 (D) · $63,421
Poverty rate: 18/100 (F) · 17.7%
How does Lancaster compare to other US cities?
Here's how Lancaster stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income40% higher than other cities
Home value44% pricier than other cities
Median rent54% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Lancaster against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Pennsylvania only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Pennsylvania-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Lancaster near the bottom of Pennsylvania's cities
Among the 1,865 Pennsylvania cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Lancaster ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Lancaster only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#1,003 of 1,765
43rd percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,865
0th percentile in Pennsylvania
Median Home Value
#618 of 1,790
65th percentile in Pennsylvania
Poverty Rate
#221 of 1,856
88th percentile in Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#661 of 1,861
64th percentile in Pennsylvania
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Pennsylvania only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
40th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Lancaster's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$203,700Among the most affordablemore affordable than 56% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Lancaster's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,752 of 15,516
More affordable than 50% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#150 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 3.2×, Lancaster sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,752 of 15,516 and #150 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$63,421Lancaster, PA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Lancaster, PA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Lancaster, PA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)27.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)17.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)62.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
57,683
Median Income
$63,421
Median Home Value
$203,700
Median Age
31.9
Poverty Rate
17.7%
Labor force participation
62.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
27.1%
Climate
Avg Temperature
53.3°F
Annual Precipitation
42.1"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
37
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Lancaster's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
57,875 residents
2021
57,588 residents
2022
57,235 residents
2023
57,172 residents
2024
58,151 residents
2025
58,366 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
190
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
190
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1
1
0
$0.2M
2020
10
10
0
$2.1M
2021
4
4
0
$0.6M
2022
3
3
0
$0.3M
2023
562
562
0
$169.0M
2024
190
0
190
$29.2M
Permit volume increased 9999% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
62.0%
Carpool
10.7%
Public Transit
4.4%
Walk
10.9%
Work from Home
9.3%
Other
2.7%
Based on 28,460 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Pennsylvania statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $260
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Pennsylvania at $260 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $52 ).
These are Pennsylvania statewide averages, not a meter reading for Lancaster. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Pennsylvania's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Lancaster is $1,225/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Pennsylvania statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 67.4 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Pennsylvania statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Lancaster sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Lancaster compares to similar-size Pennsylvania cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.