Population 4,092 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lancaster
Household size in Lancaster
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.08 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.30 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.96 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lancaster are small: just 2.21 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.08 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.9 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 60.9 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 52.8, Lancaster is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.9% of households in Lancaster, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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
Renters in Lancaster
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.4% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 13.1% of households in Lancaster rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 51.3% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.4% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 42.2% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.8% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Lancaster: 21.8% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Lancaster was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Virginia overall, where the median home dates to 1984.
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
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $783 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $927 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $492 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,072 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$290 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lancaster pays $1,072 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.5% of household income on rent, comfortably 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
Bachelor's degrees in Lancaster
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.1% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.7% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.7 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Lancaster as nationally: 35.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Virginia overall (42.5%).
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
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.3% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.4% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.1% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.3% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Lancaster never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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
| Period | Lancaster | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lancaster runs well above the national rate: 11.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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 compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 2.21 | 52.8 | 7.9% | 13.1% | 21.8% | 1979 | $1,072 | 35.7% | 84.3% | 11.5% |
| McNeals Corner | 2.65 | 39.9 | 9.7% | 20.7% | 13.3% | 1981 | $1,095 | 27.6% | 65.2% | 20.7% |
| Weems | 1.87 | 58.2 | 16.9% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 1983 | $928 | 42.7% | 84.3% | 7.8% |
| Morattico | 1.62 | 49.4 | 5.2% | 5.2% | 23.3% | 1967 | $1,095 | 21.9% | 95.1% | 56.9% |
| Kilmarnock | 1.82 | 60.7 | 5.4% | 27.5% | 18.7% | 1986 | $990 | 43.7% | 87.5% | 2.9% |
| Irvington | 1.48 | 73.1 | 1.5% | 35.2% | 22.8% | 1983 | $917 | 58.2% | 93.9% | 0.6% |
| Howland | 3.17 | 43.5 | 5.7% | 23.1% | 37.3% | 1977 | $640 | 22.2% | 81.1% | 4.9% |
| Water View | 2.25 | 53.2 | 4.7% | 6.9% | 25.7% | 1978 | $748 | 31.4% | 96.1% | 10.9% |
| Urbanna | 2.19 | 61.3 | 3.5% | 15.3% | 36.0% | 1977 | $757 | 31.2% | 96.6% | 0.8% |
| Edwardsville | 2.35 | 60.1 | 5.9% | 6.6% | 32.4% | 1993 | $640 | 26.4% | 91.3% | 0.0% |
| Wicomico Church | 2.01 | 61.5 | 2.4% | 10.2% | 29.0% | 1994 | $1,120 | 42.5% | 89.3% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: White Sulphur Springs, WV · St. Henry, OH · Stockton, NJ · Leighton, AL · Wellston, OK · La Salle, MI · Fayette, MS · Willard, UT · Claysville, PA · Clarksville, OH
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. 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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