CITY
Lancaster
California · 170,084 residents (2025 est.) · 94.3 sq mi
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Part of the Los Angeles metro area
Notable rankings
#159Largest by populationof 4,896170,084The short version
Lancaster is home to 169,169 people in California. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. The population is up 42% since 2000. This skews young, with a median age of 34.5. There are 1,794 people per square mile. Households here earn about 18% less than in California as a whole.
At a glance
Average income
median household income $81,511, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 151%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lancaster
What changed most since 1990
- White share73.0% → 23.5% (−49.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Hispanic share15.1% → 48.2% (+33.1 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
- Adults with a bachelor's degree16.2% → 20.0% (+3.8 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Among the 187 cities and towns in the Los Angeles metro
- 148th in household income$81,511
- 145th in share with a bachelor's degree20.0%
- 178th in home value$446,600
- 37th in diversity score84.0
Section 01
Population & growth
169,169
+42%since 2000
from 118,718 in 2000
170,084 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
94.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024169K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56%(10,069)
5 to 96.9%(11,757)
10 to 149.1%(15,438)
15 to 197.8%(13,234)
20 to 246.6%(11,168)
25 to 3414.3%(24,124)
35 to 4414.2%(24,063)
45 to 5411%(18,617)
55 to 6412%(20,286)
65 to 747.9%(13,372)
75 to 842.9%(4,940)
85 and over1.2%(2,101)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$81,511
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,127 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
53.8%
+24.5 ptssince 2009
from 29.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.3%
Retail trade9.1%
Wholesale trade7.5%
Finance & insurance6.5%
Professional, scientific, technical5.7%
Other services4.5%
Public administration2.5%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
Education & health services0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
Construction0.6%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$446,600
+151%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $97,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.5
−1%since 2009
from 5.5 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
55
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic52.4%(62,256)
Black15.6%(18,548)
Hispanic / Latino24.1%(28,644)
Asian3.7%(4,348)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic23.5%(39,734)
Black19.1%(32,313)
Hispanic / Latino48.2%(81,512)
Asian4.1%(6,967)
Other5.1%(8,643)
84
−3%since 2009
from 87 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican36.2%(61,239)
Central American7.8%(13,230)
Salvadoran4.5%(7,616)
Guatemalan2.4%(4,133)
South American1%(1,747)
Puerto Rican0.6%(1,075)
Nicaraguan0.4%(746)
Peruvian0.3%(562)
Cuban0.3%(527)
Colombian0.3%(473)
Chilean0.2%(422)
Honduran0.2%(417)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.1%(245)
Dominican0.1%(161)
Argentine0.1%(119)
Panamanian0.1%(108)
Ecuadorian0.1%(89)
Costa Rican0%(60)
Uruguayan0%(27)
Venezuelan0%(27)
Bolivian0%(25)
Paraguayan0%(3)
Asian origin
Filipino2.4%(4,042)
Chinese0.5%(848)
Japanese0.2%(406)
Asian Indian0.2%(383)
Vietnamese0.2%(372)
Cambodian0.2%(336)
Korean0.1%(203)
Taiwanese0.1%(117)
Kazakh0.1%(109)
Thai0.1%(107)
Burmese0%(43)
Bangladeshi0%(27)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(249)
Native Hawaiian0.1%(190)
Fijian0.1%(174)
Samoan0%(64)
Tongan0%(5)
Ancestry
German5.5%(9,341)
English4.5%(7,644)
Irish3.8%(6,502)
Italian2.1%(3,614)
American2%(3,354)
Subsaharan African1.5%(2,543)
Scottish0.8%(1,339)
French0.8%(1,289)
Polish0.7%(1,195)
Arab0.7%(1,158)
West Indian0.6%(961)
Norwegian0.5%(798)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.5%(775)
Swedish0.3%(502)
Greek0.3%(470)
Australian0.3%(456)
Nigerian0.3%(435)
Russian0.2%(402)
British0.2%(398)
Hungarian0.2%(367)
Welsh0.2%(358)
Portuguese0.2%(304)
Egyptian0.2%(302)
Canadian0.1%(248)
Syrian0.1%(246)
Swiss0.1%(232)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(222)
Danish0.1%(205)
Haitian0.1%(200)
Iranian0.1%(188)
Jamaican0.1%(164)
Romanian0.1%(163)
French Canadian0.1%(156)
Czech0.1%(155)
Finnish0.1%(135)
Armenian0.1%(124)
Austrian0.1%(102)
Jordanian0.1%(95)
Israeli0%(71)
Ukrainian0%(68)
Brazilian0%(63)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(45)
Croatian0%(41)
Kenyan0%(34)
Palestinian0%(31)
Lithuanian0%(29)
Moroccan0%(23)
Bulgarian0%(18)
Iraqi0%(16)
Guyanese0%(15)
Slovak0%(14)
Barbadian0%(13)
Turkish0%(12)
Lebanese0%(9)
Ethiopian0%(8)
Ghanaian0%(7)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
81.4%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 78.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
64.1%
+6.2 ptssince 2020
from 57.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.8%
+5.8 ptssince 2020
from 90.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married46%(30,210)
Married44%(28,870)
Widowed2%(1,316)
Divorced7.9%(5,208)
Women 15+
Never married40.1%(26,617)
Married41.7%(27,625)
Widowed6.7%(4,452)
Divorced11.5%(7,607)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
8.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 7.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
59.8%
−3.6 ptssince 2020
from 63.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
44.9%
+5.5 ptssince 2020
from 39.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)34.1%(2,564)
Gulf War (1990s)25.7%(1,928)
Vietnam era23.5%(1,769)
Korean War4.7%(355)
World War II0.4%(27)
Share of the 7,516 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lancaster, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 97,291 | $92,134 | $321,129 | 16.2% | 54.7 |
| 2000 | 118,718 | $74,919 | $178,158 | 15.8% | 79.9 |
| 2010 | 156,633 | $73,643 | $362,664 | 16.8% | 87.1 |
| 2020 | 173,516 | $70,799 | $339,735 | 19.1% | 86.4 |
| 2024 | 169,169 | $81,511 | $446,600 | 20.0% | 84.0 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Lancaster, California?
Lancaster, California has about 169,169 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lancaster, California?
The typical household in Lancaster, California earns about $81,511 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lancaster, California expensive?
In Lancaster, California, the median home is worth about $446,600, and the typical rent is about $1,764 a month.
How educated are people in Lancaster, California?
About 20.0% of adults age 25 and over in Lancaster, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lancaster, California?
About 15.6% of people in Lancaster, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has Lancaster, California grown since 1990?
Yes, Lancaster, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 71,878 residents, a change of about 74 percent over that period.
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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024