Population 557,931 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lancaster County
Household size in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.63 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.68 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.63 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
At 2.63 people per household, Lancaster County sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Pennsylvania overall, where it has 2.46 people. Only five of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 40.6, the median age in Lancaster County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 38.7 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, only five are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Lancaster County (8.8%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Lancaster County
Renters in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.8% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.6% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.9% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.2% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Lancaster County own their homes; 30.2% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 40.3% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the west.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Lancaster County: just 4.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.0 points, as it has nationally. Only two of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Lancaster County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. Still, homes here are newer than in Pennsylvania overall, where the median home dates to 1967. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $843 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $956 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,066 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,407 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$564 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in Lancaster County runs $1,407 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Pennsylvania overall ($1,323). Rent has climbed $564 a month since 2006–10, up 67%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 28.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Lancaster County
Bachelor's degrees in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.1% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly a third of adults 25 and older in Lancaster County (32.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 9.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.0% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.9% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.7% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Lancaster County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 5.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, only four have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Lancaster County
| Period | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lancaster County runs below the national rate: 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.3 points, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Lancaster County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County | 2.63 | 40.6 | 8.8% | 30.2% | 4.4% | 1975 | $1,407 | 32.3% | 87.2% | 3.4% |
| York County | 2.56 | 42.2 | 11.4% | 23.7% | 5.9% | 1976 | $1,277 | 27.8% | 92.0% | 4.6% |
| Chester County | 2.68 | 42.0 | 7.4% | 24.9% | 4.8% | 1983 | $1,842 | 57.9% | 94.2% | 3.7% |
| Delaware County | 2.67 | 40.5 | 11.5% | 30.4% | 6.5% | 1959 | $1,576 | 42.4% | 93.4% | 6.8% |
| Montgomery County | 2.57 | 42.2 | 8.1% | 28.6% | 5.6% | 1971 | $1,793 | 53.7% | 95.0% | 4.4% |
| Philadelphia County | 2.39 | 36.6 | 17.4% | 48.2% | 10.2% | 1953 | $1,433 | 35.0% | 87.3% | 8.7% |
| Burlington County | 2.67 | 42.4 | 9.7% | 23.9% | 6.2% | 1977 | $1,826 | 43.2% | 94.3% | 5.4% |
| Fulton County | 2.29 | 47.0 | 8.5% | 22.4% | 11.4% | 1976 | $821 | 17.7% | 89.3% | 2.9% |
| Ocean County | 3.25 | 40.1 | 8.2% | 19.3% | 10.6% | 1985 | $1,854 | 34.8% | 92.9% | 5.5% |
| Bedford County | 2.44 | 46.4 | 6.6% | 22.5% | 16.6% | 1971 | $861 | 15.8% | 90.2% | 3.9% |
| Somerset County | 2.36 | 47.1 | 7.4% | 19.6% | 18.1% | 1962 | $812 | 18.5% | 90.8% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Anne Arundel County, MD · Baltimore City, MD · Brevard County, FL · Bristol County, MA · Bucks County, PA · Burlington County, NJ · Camden County, NJ · Chester County, PA · Clark County, WA · Dane County, WI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Lancaster County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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